Image courtesy Jagran

A line of deportees walking up to a large military aircraft ramp, shadows stretching out on the tarmac.

Real talk: When news broke about 54 men, mostly from Haryana, landing back in Delhi after the US sent them packing, desi social media hit panic mode. Suddenly, everyone’s cousin’s neighbour’s WhatsApp group was full of “Bhai, donkey route pe kya scene hai?” The drama is real, but so are the risks, heartbreak, and shattered dreams, and the memes aren’t gonna help anyone. So, before you believe every forward and ‘expert’ take, here’s a chill, snack-sized explainer on what actually went down, why everyone’s talking about ‘donkey route’, and why your family’s barista money could go up in smoke if you pick the shady shortcut.

1) The one with the ‘Donkey Route 101’

Inside a military cargo plane, rows of deportees seated with handcuffs and escorts around them.

Image courtesy WHSV

The so-called ‘donkey route’ isn’t a meme, it’s a multi-country obstacle course run by smugglers who promise the American Dream and deliver a horror movie. Picture this: you cross borders illegally, trudge through jungles (hello, Darién Gap nightmares), shell out up to ₹57 lakh, and end up in a US detention center—not exactly Sunburn Goa vibes. A Kaithal youth spent 14 months locked up, and that cash is gone for good. With deportations from the US crossing 1,000 Indians by May this year, this shortcut’s full form? “Short-lived luck.”

2) The one where the police say, ‘Kya scene hai?’

Haryana police aren’t just doing TikTok news bytes, they’re actively tracking down the network of agents who sold these risky dreams. In Karnal, 16 men were brought back, accounted for, and handed to their families—police are now mapping their travel history and checking for any actual legal trouble. This year’s seen even the ED raiding suspected ‘donkey route’ financiers, seizing passports, and sniffing out hawala payments. Officials keep stressing: don’t waste life savings and years chasing sketchy agents—use proper counselors and legal ways instead. Game plan > random gyaan, always.

3) The one with the money math no one likes to do

A line of migrants, backpacks on, walk along a border fence under barbed wire in the desert sunlight.

Image courtesy CNN

Here’s the thing nobody prints on agent flyers: ₹40–₹60 lakh is what many families cough up for these shady ‘jugaad’ journeys. Most sell land or borrow from extended family, thinking it’s a ticket to shiny dollars. If deported, you lose it all, plus legal fees and months lost in detention, with nothing to show but heartbreak and zero US job history. That money could get you a Master’s abroad, a startup runway, or three years’ rent in Gurugram, no shady promises, no handcuffs. So, next time ‘FOMO’ kicks in, remember: ‘EMI > Jugaad Migration’.

4) The one with the receipts and the bigger picture

This wasn’t a one-off sad airplane selfie, it’s a symptom of a giant churn. As of May 2025, 1,080 Indians have been deported by the US, and every new update nudges the number higher. Haryana and Punjab keep showing up on these lists because agents there have spun a silky, costly web, mixing family pressure, big dreams, and WhatsApp bravado. The weekend this flight landed, news clips and WhatsApp videos went viral: handcuffed men escorted off, faces blurred, families in tears. Outrage is fair, but the real fight is against scammy networks exploiting that Desi Dream.

If your dream is real, your route should be too. The American Dream isn’t a speedrun; it’s paperwork, patience, and yes, a lot of hustle that doesn’t involve jungle treks and dodgy WhatsApp agents!