Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar undertook a 670-kilometer road journey to New York during his visit to the United States in September last year. According to a newly released report by the U.S. Department of State, American security officials arranged the road trip because commercial air travel was suspended due to a federal government shutdown. The report, prepared by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), was made public on January 8, 2026.

The DSS organized the journey from the Lewiston–Queenston Bridge on the Canada–U.S. border to Manhattan, a trip lasting about seven hours. A total of 27 agents from the DSS’s Dignitary Protection Division and its New York and Buffalo field offices participated. Some agents drove separately to strengthen local security. The convoy passed through rural and remote areas of New York State under harsh winter conditions, with drivers rotated to ensure safety.

U.S. officials said the operation ensured that Jaishankar’s scheduled United Nations meeting proceeded as planned despite the shutdown. The DSS, under the State Department, is responsible for protecting U.S. diplomats and visiting foreign dignitaries.