India Protests U.S. Detention of Several Indian Students, Reports Reuters

By Aditya Kalra

NEW DELHI – India officially protested to the United States government on Saturday after several Indian students were detained in connection with their enrollment in a fraudulent university as part of an undercover operation by U.S. authorities.

This week, U.S. officials announced the indictment of eight individuals who exploited the American student visa system. These individuals were involved in facilitating the illegal stay of foreign nationals by enrolling them in a private university in the Detroit metro area, which was actually operated by U.S. agents.

The recruiters allegedly assisted the students in obtaining immigration documents under false pretenses, as the students had no genuine intention of attending classes, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

While U.S. authorities did not disclose the nationalities of those implicated, the Indian foreign ministry confirmed that “several Indian students” had been detained. Reports suggest that over 100 students have faced detention in the U.S.

In response, the Indian government issued a formal communication to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, requesting immediate consular access to the detainees.

The foreign ministry emphasized that students who may have been misled into enrolling in the fraudulent institution should not be treated in the same manner as the recruiters who deceived them.

Additionally, India called on the United States to expedite the release of the detained students without proceeding with deportation against their will.

U.S. officials stated that the defendants aimed to conceal the students from immigration authorities in exchange for payment, resulting in profits exceeding $250,000.

“These suspects facilitated the illegal stay of hundreds of foreign nationals by falsely representing them as students, which they most certainly were not,” said Special Agent in charge Steve Francis.

Notably, an annual survey indicated that in 2017-18, China, India, and South Korea accounted for 56.1 percent of all international students in the United States.