'Where is the friend of Trump now?’ NSUI protests assault, deportation of Indian students in US

“Where is the friend of Trump now?” asked Ashish Lamba, president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), while staging a strong protest in Delhi against the assault and deportation of an Indian student at the United States (US) airport.

In a viral video, an Indian student was seen breaking down in tears as he was pushed to the ground, restrained, and forcibly deported. The disturbing video has sparked outrage among students across the nation.

“The attacks on Indian students in the U.S. are not isolated incidents. Thousands are now facing the wrath of immigration changes—visas being denied, admissions cancelled, and students being deported. These are not criminals. These are our youth, our scholars, who went to pursue education. What is the Indian government doing to protect them?,” Lamba said.

“Where is the ‘friend of Trump’ now?” Choudhary asked, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s infamous “Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar” event. “Where is External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar while our students are being assaulted and humiliated? The silence is shameful,” he added.

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US targeting "marginalised" Indian students, claims NSUI

The NSUI protests, which condemned the repeated mistreatment of Indian students in the US, was met with heavy police deployment, according to an official statement from the student body.

Blaming what it called a “diplomatic failure of the Modi-led government,” NSUI alleged that since the return of US President Donald Trump, Indian students, “especially from marginalised communities” have been "disproportionately targeted.”

The student group further claimed that many students with confirmed admission have recently been denied entry into the US, with some even deported mid-transit without any clear explanation. This, they said, has triggered fear and uncertainty among thousands of Indian aspirants planning to study in the US for the upcoming academic year.

Lamba outlined various demands, including:

• Immediate diplomatic action to protect Indian students in the US.
• A public statement and plan of action from the Minister of External Affairs and Prime Minister’s Office
• Legal and financial aid for affected students
• Strong engagement with the US administration on student safety.

“NSUI will take this issue to campuses across India, and every city and town until concrete steps are taken,” the official statement reads further.