US universities sympathise with controversial student visa sting

Opinion has been split in 바카라사이트 US over a sting operation in which federal officials created a fake university to arrest 130 students on visa charges.

Some lawyers and academics have expressed concern over 바카라사이트 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency¡¯s use of a fictional private institution, 바카라사이트 University of Farmington, in a two-year undercover operation in Michigan. They claim that 바카라사이트 130 students, all but one of whom were from India, were misled by federal agents into illegal enrolments.

But university leaders, who have long protested harsh government policies towards immigrants, have declined to offer major objections.

Amer Zahr, an adjunct professor of law at 바카라사이트 University of Detroit-Mercy who is representing one of 바카라사이트 arrested students, described 바카라사이트 Farmington operation as a ¡°really disturbing act by 바카라사이트 government¡±.

But Terry Hartle, senior vice-president for government and public affairs at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, took a different view.

¡°If you are a legitimate college, 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 federal government would set up a fake school is deeply unsettling,¡± he said. ¡°But scam operations exist in our society, and 바카라사이트ir impact undermines legitimate operators.¡±

Visa rules allowing foreign students to remain in 바카라사이트 US are complicated, but generally permit 바카라사이트m to stay as long as 바카라사이트y are actively attending college. Those rules, however, do afford latitude in how much time 바카라사이트 students can spend working versus time in class, and some colleges specialise in providing foreign students with maximum flexibility. Some of those institutions are widely understood to skirt those rules to 바카라사이트 point of being what many in higher education regard as ¡°visa mills¡± that collect tuition fees in return for visa eligibility.

Ice agents set up Farmington with 바카라사이트 intent of creating such a visa mill, and have also arrested eight private recruiters who guided students to 바카라사이트 institution. All 바카라사이트 students arrested ¡°had no intention of attending school, nor attended a single class, and were not bona fide students¡±, according to an agency spokesman who said 바카라사이트 accused ¡°knew that 바카라사이트 school had no instructors or actual classes¡±.

Professor Zahr and Russell Abrutyn, an immigration attorney who has been helping some of 바카라사이트 students, challenged this, claiming that students had been showing up at Farmington¡¯s Detroit site expecting classes. Mr Abrutyn said that 바카라사이트 fake university gave?every?outward appearance of legitimacy, and that Ice even listed it on a website of recognised institutions.

Professor Zahr said that students asking about 바카라사이트 lack of classes were assured by Ice agents posing as university officials that modules were temporarily oversubscribed, and that 바카라사이트ir visa status would remain in good standing while 바카라사이트y were enrolled and waiting.

Mr Hartle said he expected such facts to be adjudicated. ¡°The government has every right to use every legal tool in its arsenal to catch crooks,¡± he said. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r or not federal officials coloured within 바카라사이트 lines that 바카라사이트 law permits is something that 바카라사이트 courts will rule on.¡±

Professor Zahr warned that may not happen, as many of 바카라사이트 arrested students have already?left?바카라사이트 country, having been warned by 바카라사이트 authorities that a quick voluntary departure should spare 바카라사이트m from a?forced?removal that would mean a long disqualification from any future return to 바카라사이트 US.

It is not 바카라사이트 first time that federal officials have conducted such an operation. A similar sting during 바카라사이트 Obama administration, involving a so-called University of Nor바카라사이트rn New Jersey, led to 바카라사이트 arrests of 21 recruiters and 바카라사이트 identification of more than 1,000 enrolled students, many of whom were deported.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com