
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States inside the Rotunda of the US Capitol, vowing to expand executive power, deport millions of immigrants, seek retribution against his political adversaries, and redefine America’s position on the global stage. Due to a forecast of extreme cold, the inauguration ceremony, which is typically held on a large temporary platform on the Capitol’s West Lawn, was relocated indoors.
Amid this, a Pakistan-based account recently shared a viral claim on social media stating, “Breaking News: Donald Trump says he’ll throw out 18,000 Indians who are living illegally in the U.S. back to India.”

Fact Check
During the investigation, DFRAC found the claim to be false. Multiple media reports were reviewed. According to a Guardian report published on January 21, 2025, “The Indian government has identified 18,000 emigrants living in the US illegally that it intends to repatriate in a bid to ease pressures under Donald Trump. Sources who spoke to Bloomberg said the Indian government was collaborating with US authorities to identify undocumented Indian immigrants for deportation in order to demonstrate a willingness to work closely with the new Trump administration and protect legal immigration visas for Indian citizens.”
The Guardian report further stated that Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said: “As part of India-US cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration. This is being done to create more avenues for legal migration from India to the US.”

Furthermore, a Hindustan Times report published on January 22, 2025, also stated similar facts.

Conclusion
It is evident from DFRAC’s fact check that the claim that Donald Trump personally stated he would throw out 18,000 Indians is false. The reports indicate that the Indian government is taking action to repatriate these individuals, not Donald Trump. Therefore, the claim by social media users is misleading.