At least 104 Indian citizens were deported from the United States Tuesday night on a military aircraft, according to officials from India’s Punjab state, as US President Donald Trump makes stemming migration a top priority.

One of the deportees told the BBC they had been handcuffed throughout the 40-hour flight, sparking criticism. But Jaishankar said he had been told by the US that women and children were not restrained.

After outrage over the treatment meted out to Indian deportees from the US, which echoed in Parliament as well, external affairs minister S Jaishankar strongly defended in both Houses India's decision to accept illegal migrants sent back in an American military plane,