- Infosys CEO Salil Parekh denied claims of employee detention or deportation by US authorities
- An Infosys employee was denied US entry and returned to India without detention or deportation
- A viral social media post falsely alleged public humiliation and forced return of the employee
Infosys CEO and Managing Director Salil Parekh denied claims that an Infosys employee was in detention or deported by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Speaking during a Q3 earnings conference on Wednesday, he clarified that an employee was denied entry to the US and was sent back to India, but there was no detention or deportation involved.
A post on X that went viral on January 13 alleged that an Infosys employee based in Mysore was in the US for an on-site project and was held by ICE. According to the post, the employee was given two hours to decide whether to return to India or go to jail.
The post further claimed that the employee was escorted by agents during his travel back to India and faced public humiliation during flights via Frankfurt and later to Bengaluru. The Infosys lawyers were present at the Bengaluru airport to receive the employee, and the company planned to take legal action against US authorities, the post said.
Parekh dismissed reports suggesting otherwise and said the claims circulating online were incorrect.
Indian IT firms are grappling with tougher US H-1B visa rules, including a $100,000 fee for new applications, social media vetting, and erratic processing times, that have disrupted their ability to deliver services across borders.
Moreover, the confrontation tactics used by US ICE have been in the spotlight since the fatal shooting of protester Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 7. But data released by the agency shows that immigration detention centres can also be deadly environments for those being held in them.
Press releases from ICE reveal that a number of people have died in custody in only the first few days of 2026 – immediately following a year when migrant detainee deaths reached a 20-year high.
At least four people have died while being detained by ICE in 2026, according to the agency. The previous year, 2025, was already the deadliest year for ICE detainees in two decades. At least 30 people died while being held in immigration detention centres – the highest deaths since 2004, the year after the agency was created.
(With inputs from agencies)
