What will be discussed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Donald Trump at the White House on his two-day visit to the country?

Will he raise the issues of the deportation of illegal Indian migrants, fresh and punitive tariffs on Indian exports, waiver of sanctions on Iran’s Chabahar Port, investment in micro nuclear reactors and transfer of technical know-how in cutting-edge technologies?

Will Donald Trump press PM Modi hard in a tough bargain with him as the US-India relationships will be more transactional than value-based?

Will Deportation Figure In Modi-Trump Talks?

The Trump-Modi meeting will be held days after the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had sent 104 Indian illegal migrants, with hands cuffed and feet shackled and bundled on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster plane, for which the government in India came under scathing attacks from the Opposition.

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Analysts believe, this issue will certainly figure in the talks, but PM Modi is most likely to take it in a friendly manner, trying to persuade Trump to avoid ill-treatment to the illegal migrants.

After sending 104 Indian illegal migrants back, the ICE has identified more than 800 Indians for immediate deportation and they are just waiting for the final order.

How Many Illegal Indian Migrants Are In US?

If reports are to be believed, more than 20,000 illegal Indian migrants have been identified, they have lost appeals and are in the final phase of the deportation process.

India has agreed to take all the illegal migrants back. More than 7,25,000 Indians are living in the US illegally, most of them having reached there through the “donkey route”.

Also Read: Explained: What Is ‘Donkey Route’? How Indians Take World’s Most Dangerous Path To Sneak Into US Illegally?
Washington may point out how Indians reach the US soil illegally through the donkey route, and PM Modi may find it difficult to justify or defend it. The US may demand that these people should be stopped at the source itself so that the ICE is not burdened with more work load.

More H1 B Visas For Indian Migrants?

PM Modi may also emphasise that the Indian migrants are not criminals and should not be treated like them. They should not be handcuffed and shackled while being deported.

He may also ask Donald Trump to give more H1 B visas to Indian professionals.

According to a rough estimate, more than 4.5 million Indians, some of them Indian Americans, but most working on H1 B visas, are living in the US.

Also Read: Will US Expel Lakhs of Indians? Modi-Trump Meeting This Month Holds Answer!

Most of the Indian migrants are in white-collar jobs, particularly IT, medicine and management.

Some of them have their start-up firms, and some have moved to senior management cadre in Silicon Valley.

These Indians command respect in the US and are respected for being hardworking and knowledgeable. India may also emphansise that the spouses of the Indian migrants working in the US should also be given work permits as earlier.

PM Modi may emphasise this image and want the Indians to be given more opportunity and respect, while he agrees to take illegal Indian migrants back.