U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents set up a fake university to catch those helping foreign nationals to keep or obtain a student visa to stay in the U.S. The sting operation resulted in the arrest of 21 people who conspired to help over 1,000 foreign nationals to remain in the country.
The 21 people arrested were brokers, recruiters, and employers that paid the undercover ICE agents “running” the school thousands of dollars to produce paperwork saying that each foreigner was a student at the university. This allows the “student” to maintain their visa without having to go to class.
The fake university called, The University of Northern New Jersey, had a website that had no class, sport, or instructor information. It only said that the university had an “exceptional” education program for foreign students. The website was taken down yesterday.
"This was just another stop on the 'pay-to-stay' tour," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said.
Most of the 21 defendants are in the country legally and face charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and to harbor aliens for profit. The last charge can carry up to a 10-year prison sentence. The foreign “students” who participated in the scam have been identified and handed over to immigration authorities. Most were already in the U.S. on student visas, some could be deported but none will be prosecuted.
Read more on this story at The Republic.
