Surge of immigrants from India baffles border officials in Texas

Illegal immigrants from India are crossing the border in Texas, a long dangerous journey, usually with human smugglers. - - Donna Poisl

Thousands from India have entered Texas illegally from Mexico in the last year. Most are Sikhs who claim religious persecution at home.

By Richard Marosi and Andrew Becke

Reporting from Harlingen, Texas — Thousands of immigrants from India have crossed into the United States illegally at the southern tip of Texas in the last year, part of a mysterious and rapidly growing human-smuggling pipeline that is backing up court dockets, filling detention centers and triggering investigations.

The immigrants, mostly young men from poor villages, say they are fleeing religious and political persecution. More than 1,600 Indians have been caught since the influx began here early last year, while an undetermined number, perhaps thousands, are believed to have sneaked through undetected, according to U.S. border authorities.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.