India 'will do what's right' on illegal immigration, according to Trump

After speaking with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone, US President Donald Trump declared that India "will do what's right" when it comes to the expulsion of illegal migrants.The leaders' first meeting since Trump's inauguration last week took place on Monday.They had what the White House called a "productive call" where they talked about trade, immigration, and security problems.Following the chat, Trump informed reporters that Modi would probably come to the US "sometime in February".Trump has issued several executive orders pertaining to immigration since taking office on January 20, opening the door for a broad campaign to target unauthorized immigrants in the US. The Pew Research Center estimates that as of 2024, there would be 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the United States. India's foreign ministry stated last week that Delhi would accept Indians who were overstaying "anywhere in the world" provided their nationality was confirmed and their documents were submitted.According to the ministry, Trump and Modi talked about the bilateral relationship "including in the areas of technology, trade, investment, energy, and defense" during their phone conversation on Monday. The two presidents also talked about European, Middle Eastern, and Indo-Pacific security. Trump emphasized the significance of India expanding its purchases of US-made security equipment and pursuing a "fair" bilateral commercial relationship, according to a White House statement. Modi referred to Trump as a "dear friend" and stated that they were "committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership" in a post on X (previously Twitter).

According to the White House, both leaders reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening the Indo-Pacific Quad alliance, which also includes Australia and Japan, as well as their nations' strategic partnership. Later this year, India will host the Quad leaders for the first time. Between 2017 until 2021, when the US president was in his first term, Modi and Trump had friendly relations. However, the Trump administration and India were engaged in a sour tariff war that had an impact on companies on both sides. India's foreign minister, S Jaishankar, stated in November after Trump's election victory that the nation was not anxious about collaborating with the US president.Last year, Trump referred to Modi as a "great leader" but also charged that India was imposing exorbitant tariffs. It would be intriguing to see if the two countries' camaraderie can allay worries about immigration and commerce, according to analysts.