Communications of the ACM
ICE Arrests More Students at Fake STEM University
This building in Farmington Hills, Mich., was used as the fake University of Farmington campus created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as part of a sting operation targeting foreign students.
A total of about 250 students of a fake university called the University of Farmington have been arrested since January on immigration violations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a sting operation by federal agents who enticed foreign-born students, mostly from India, to attend the school that marketed itself as offering graduate programs in technology and computer studies, according to ICE officials.
The students had arrived legally in the U.S. on student visas, but since the university was later revealed to have been created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the students lost their immigration status after the university was shut down in January. The school was located in Farmington Hills, Mich., and staffed with undercover agents posing as university officials.
Many of those arrested have been deported to India while others are contesting their removals. One has been allowed to stay after being granted lawful permanent resident status by an immigration judge.
Attorneys for the students arrested said they were unfairly trapped by the U.S. government since the Department of Homeland Security had said on its website that the university was legitimate. An accreditation agency that was working with the U.S. on its sting operation also listed the university as legitimate.
From Detroit Free Press
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