Federal law enforcement agencies in the United States have arrested an additional 90 foreign students, mostly from India, for allegedly exploiting the country's student visa system, in connection with the University of Farmington immigration fraud case.
The announcement was made by the Detroit office of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) wing of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While initially, officials had said that 161 students had been held in connection with the fraud, with the latest figures, the total tally has reached 250. The arrests were reported to have taken place between January and July.
The Detroit Free Press reported that out of the 250 students who had been arrested, 80% voluntarily left the United States after authorities gave them the chance, while the remaining people were given a final order of removal or were arguing their case in court.
Responding to the story, several people also took to Twitter with the hashtag '#AbolishICE', arguing that the US government must shut down the agency for entrapment.
United States Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is also a Presidential candidate tweeted, "This is cruel and appalling. These students simply dreamed of getting the high-quality higher education America can offer. ICE deceived and entrapped them, just to deport them."
This is cruel and appalling. These students simply dreamed of getting the high-quality higher education America can offer. ICE deceived and entrapped them, just to deport them. https://t.co/t6kQLiV5oh
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 27, 2019
Earlier this month, six out of eight Indian recruiters involved in the Farmington University scam – all of whom were from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – were sentenced to various durations of imprisonment. They were convicted of fraudulently facilitating foreign nationals to illegally stay and work in the US.
Farmington University was a fake university run by ICE and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to trap immigration agents and illegal immigrants who were extending their stay in America on the pretext of being students.
Authorities said that the students would join Farmington University and obtain an F-1 visa (a non-immigrant student visa that allows foreigners to study) and later procure work permits through a work-study program (called Curriculum Practical Training). Investigation officials said that the students would stop attending college after receiving the permit and continue working, thereby making their stay in the country illegal.
When the case first came to light, officials had detained hundreds of students, many of whom were from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
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