'US will not tolerate illegal entry': Embassy's message amid handcuffing row involving Indian student

The Indian student was handcuffed and deported (Photo: X)

Hours after a shocking video of an Indian student being handcuffed and held down by officials at Newark Airport in New Jersey went viral, the US embassy in India in a tweet said that although the country continues to welcome legitimate travellers, they won't tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas or violation of US law.

"The United States continues to welcome legitimate travelers to our country. However, there is no right to visit the United States. We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of U.S. law," wrote the US Embassy in India on X.

The incident came to light after Kunal Jain, an Indian-American entrepreneur, posted the video on social media. He called the way the Indian ‘student’ was treated “deeply inhumane” and described it as a “human tragedy”.

He also said that similar cases have been happening recently. “These children get their visas and get on a flight in the morning. For some reason, they are unable to explain the reason for their visit to the immigration authorities and are sent back on the evening flight tied up like criminals. Every day 3-4 such cases are happening. There have been more such cases in the last few days,” he wrote.

The Indian Embassy in New York has responded, saying that they had seen social media posts about an Indian national facing trouble at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The United States continues to welcome legitimate travelers to our country. However, there is no right to visit the United States. We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of U.S. law. pic.twitter.com/WvsUb4Mtqu

U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) June 10, 2025

"We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard," the Indian Consulate said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Tuesday slammed the government after the video emerged and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately talk to President Donald Trump to appeal for intervention on the "mistreatment" of Indians in America.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Modi government is continuously failing to protect the honour of India and Indians.