Published 11:08 IST, November 28th 2019
US: 90 more students, mostly Indians arrested for 'immigration fraud'
More than 600 students were enrolled in a fake university reportedly established by the United States government to check the immigration fraud in the country.
- World News
- 4 min read
At least 90 foreign students, mostly from India have been arrested by federal law enforcement agencies in the recent months. The students were enrolled in a fake university reportedly established by the United States government to check the immigration fraud in the country. So far, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained more than 250 students who were convinced to enrol in the now-closed University of Farmington in the Detroit metropolitan area by the Department of Homeland Security.
According to ICE officials, mostly Indian students were attracted towards the university that marketed itself as offering graduate programs in technology and computer studies. The several arrested students have been deported, while some of them are contesting their removals. One of the students has also been allowed to stay after being granted a lawful permanent resident status by an immigration judge. The students, however, had arrived in the US legally on student visas but since the University of Farmington was the creation of federal agents, the foreigners lost their immigration status after it was shut down in January. Since it was all part of the sting operation, even the teachers and officials in the university were undercover agents.
'Abolish ICE'
The ICE had arrested 161 students in March from the fake university established by it. After the university was closed, nearly 600 students were enrolled in it with most Indians. The latest sting operation by the ICE has sparked outrage among people with 'Abolish ICE' hashtag gaining momentum on Twitter along with other social media platforms on November 27. Citizens criticised the entire strategy by the ICE and said 'it does not make any sense'. Federal prosecutors claim that the students were aware of the fact that the university is fake as there were no classes. A leading Democratic presidential candidate described the entire move by ICE as 'cruel and appalling'.
In total 250 students who have been arrested on administrative charges, reportedly nearly 80 per cent were granted voluntary departure from the US. In a statement made by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations on November 26, they also said that in the remaining 20 per cent, more than half of the students have received a final order of removal, while some of them were ordered removed by the federal judge, others were given an expedited removal by the US Customs and Border Protection.
(With PTI inputs)
Updated 11:21 IST, November 28th 2019