Karnal, Oct. 28 -- "I was shackled for 25 hours on the flight and even sent to the washroom in chains. My feet are swollen, and the pain goes up to my knees. Are we criminals or what? We were just working hard to earn money," said 45-year-old Harjinder Singh from Ambala, his voice trembling as he sat beside his parents, showing his swollen feet. Harjinder was among 53 men from Haryana who were deported from the United States on Saturday night for allegedly staying in the country illegally. A special flight carrying them landed at Delhi airport after a nearly 25-hour journey - one that they describe as humiliating. According to officials, among the 53 deportees, 16 were from Karnal, followed by 14 from Kaithal, five each from Ambala and Kurukshetra, four from Yamunanagar, three from Jind, and one each from Rohtak, Panipat, Panchkula, Fatehabad and Sonepat. A day after their return, the men are still trying to process the trauma of detention, deportation and the collapse of their dreams. Many had spent years doing odd jobs and drained their family savings - sometimes selling property or taking loans - in hopes of building a better life in the US. Harjinder Singh, a resident of Jagoli village, said he paid Rs.35 lakh to an agent to migrate. "I liked America, it's a good country. I worked hard, learnt cooking and stayed in Jacksonville, Florida. But the Trump administration sent us back. My lakhs of rupees have now gone wasted," he said, tears welling in his eyes. The deportees claim they were kept legcuffed and handcuffed throughout the journey, including during meals and restroom breaks. "We were kept in chains from the detention centre till we landed in Delhi. It was extremely painful," Harjinder recalled. Rajat Pal, a 20-year-old from Sangoha village in Karnal, shared a similar story. After spending Rs.45 lakh on agents and another Rs.18 lakh on legal fees and living expenses in the US, Rajat said he lost everything. "We were forced to sleep in freezing temperatures at the detention centre and struggled for food. During the flight, we were kept in shackles the whole time. It was unbearable," he said. Rajat had left India in May last year. Another deportee Harish from Kalsi village in Karnal said he went to the US in August last year. "I moved to the US from Canada on a work permit in 2023 and was working in a store, from where I was detained in February." Naresh Kumar, who was among the deportees, said that an agent promised to send him to the US for a fee of Rs.42 lakh, but he had to ultimately eke out Rs.57 lakh. He hails from Kaithal. Attempts to contact several of the deported individuals were unsuccessful. State minister Anil Vij criticised the manner in which the deportees were treated. "If the youths have to be deported, it should be done in a humane manner. No matter how they went, they are human beings and they have human rights too," he said in Ambala. Vij also assured that action would be taken against the agents who duped the youths and sent them abroad through illegal means. Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked both the Union and state governments for their silence. Union minister and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said: "If we protest against Bangladeshis living in India, every country has the right to take action against illegal immigrants. We don't use shackles, but if they do, that is their decision."...