Washington, D.C- recently deported individuals arriving in India have recounted harrowing experiences, claiming they were restrained with handcuffs and leg chains throughout their flight from the U.S. to India. According to them, the restraints were only removed upon landing in Amritsar, leaving them deeply traumatized by the ordeal.
Amid growing criticism over the treatment of deportees, the White House on Tuesday posted a 41-second video showing immigrants in shackles preparing to board a deportation flight from Seattle, USA.
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1891923570768384107?s=46&t=ot4gcbt0tASOgquam9JyZw
The video, shared on social media platform X, depicts officers placing handcuffs and chains on immigrants. It also includes close-up shots of a man’s wrists being shackled, another man’s feet in chains as he ascends a stairway to the aircraft, and an individual preparing to board the plane. However, none of the men’s faces were shown in the clip.
The White House captioned the video: “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” Before the White House shared it, the video was originally posted by the Seattle office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency with the caption “Removal Flight” and the description: “A group of undocumented aliens are flown from Seattle as part of a process to finalize their return to their home countries.”
Tesla CEO and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s ally, Elon Musk, also reacted to the White House’s post by reposting it with a brief comment: “Haha wow.”
The video has ignited widespread debate over the ethical concerns surrounding the treatment of undocumented immigrants. Critics argue that such public displays of deportation further dehumanize immigrants and raise questions about government responsibilities in handling sensitive immigration matters. The backlash continues to grow as human rights advocates and opposition lawmakers demand a more humane approach to deportation procedures.