Washington /New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has put trapped 129 Indian students in the United States at “top priority”. The Indian students have been arrested in the United States for enrolling themselves in a fake university, in what authorities are calling ”pay-to-stay” in America scheme. Of the 130 foreign students arrested, 129 are from India.
The US’ Department of Homeland Security recently accrued an undercover operation and busted a ”pay-to-stay” in America scheme which is essentially an immigration fraud.
A number of Indian students who had enrolled in a fraudulent university, named Farmington University, in Metro Detroit area and working across the country were detained. These students now face possible deportation.
Meanwhile, the immigration attorneys said that the students were not aware that the university was operating illegally and illegitimately and criticized authorities for using “troubling” methods to trap them for profits. However, officials hold the students accountable, claiming that they “knowingly enrolled” themselves in the fake university to falsely maintain their student visa status to remain in the US.
After the undercover operation, US’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 130 foreign students, including 129 Indians, for immigration violations.
Reportedly, the trackers have been put on the ankles of the students and they have been asked to not move out of a certain radius.
“The ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has administratively arrested 130 foreign nationals enrolled at the University of Farmington for civil immigration violations. Of the 130, 129 were Indian nationals,” Khaalid H Walls, an ICE spokesperson, told news agency PTI.
“These individuals have been placed in removal proceedings, and ICE will seek to maintain them in its custody pending the outcome of those proceedings,” he said.
Federal prosecutors claim the students were aware the university was not running a legitimate operation. But attorneys who have spoken with students or with family and friends of those arrested are pushing back against the government’s claims. The families sought out Swaraj and her team for all help possible.
Ministry of External Affairs’ Response
Sushma Swaraj and her team have been requested to provide legal assistance to the students stuck in the US with no apparent fault of theirs. The Ministry of External Affairs has placed the issue as a “top priority”.
“The government of India, together with our mission in Washington and our consulates in the US are according the highest priority to the situation arising out of the detention of Indian students in the US,” Mr Kumar said in response to queries.
“We have also placed a formal request for consular access, emphasising that the request may be taken as a very high priority,” Mr Kumar said.
Also Read: Polar Vortex In US: Over 20 Feared Dead
Ms Kalinga