India is also playing ball because it wants to hold on to the legal channels for immigration that Indians now enjoy. With a new sheriff in town — and a possible trade war looming — India on Tuesday declared it will help President Trump identify its citizens residing illegally in the United States and then take them back.

India’s government is prepared to work with Donald Trump’s administration to identify and take back all its citizens residing illegally in the US, an early signal from New Delhi that it’s willing to comply with the incoming American president and avoid a trade war.

India plans to repatriate 18,000 citizens living illegally in the US to align with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

The Indian government is prepared to work with the newly elected Donald Trump government in the US to identify and take back around 18,000 citizens, who illegally entered the country, a Bloomberg report has said.

India is working behind the scenes to appease the Trump administration and avoid a trade war with the US. The two countries have together identified some 18,000 illegal Indian migrants in the US to be sent back home.