Immigration fraud: Hundreds of Indian students may be deported from US

[ChromeFoundry]

Source: The Economic Times of India

26 Jan, 2011, 12.31AM IST,PTI


WASHINGTON: Hundreds of Indian students , mostly from Andhra Pradesh , face the prospect of deportation from the US after authorities raided and shut down a university in the Silicon Valley on charges of a massive immigration fraud .

The Tri-Valley University in Pleasanton, a major suburb in San Francisco Bay Area, has been charged by federal investigating authorities with being part of an effort to defraud, misuse visa permits and indulge in money laundering and other crimes.

According to a federal complaint filed in a California court, the University, which was raided and shut down last week, helped foreign nationals illegally acquire immigration status.

The university is said to have 1,555 students. As many as 95 per cent of these students are Indian nationals, the complaint said.


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/travel/visa-power/immigration-fraud-hundreds-of-indian-students-may-be-deported-from-us/articleshow/7359653.cms

[OhioChick]

1. "Sham University?"

No surprise.

[musette_sf]

2. Oh yeah. Tri-Valley,

where all the students "live" in ONE apartment address.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. "Living" in Sunnyvale and students in Pleasanton -- that's a red flag right there.

No one in their right mind would opt for that commute. :D
Should've had a fake address in Dublin or Livermore.

[KeepItReal]

3. Good work, ICE! Show 'em the door.

Using a fake university as cover for not obtaining proper work visas:

"in reality they "illegally" worked in various parts of the country as far as Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Texas"

[sledgehammer]

7. Yes, absolutely good work ICE!

Looks like ICE has been busy, as you can see from this article:

http://www.wsbt.com/news/fox17-77-arrested-in-west-michigan-i-01212011,0,2898507.story

Now somehow I think that if DUers had said "Good work, ICE! Show these 77 the door" (or, as another poster said, "Get rid of them ASAP"), they would be accused of being inconsiderate and unsympathetic, and probably face the wrath of several DUers.

But when it comes to South Asians, especially Indians (both legal and illegal), anything seems to be fair game on DU.

[EFerrari]

13. ICE oversight is nearly non-existent and I don't wish them on anyone.

They mistreat people, people die in their custody, they deport the wrong people, in general, they're a disaster.

[KeepItReal]

20. If you misrepresent yourself in order to obtain work in a foreign country

...doesn't that country have the right to kick you out?

It's not a human right to be able to go to another country and break labor laws so you can get paid.

[sledgehammer]

22. I absolutely agree with you!

I really do. I think more needs to be done by ICE (and employers should be punished as well for hiring illegals).

My point is that if someone posted the article on Mexicans being rounded up and deported, you won't hear phrases like "Get rid of them asap" and "show 'em the door" here on DU. In fact, many posts might even be anti-ICE, some would be sympathetic. And many would attack those who make disparaging comments.

But when it comes to Indians being deported, taking shots is ok and is never challenged.

[KeepItReal]

23. I wish ICE would go after the employers, also

If CEO's were held liable for their employee populations as much as they are held responsible for their financial statements, this problem would be on its way to a solution.

[LanternWaste]

24. I imagine many people...

I imagine many people place a higher priority on imaginary red and blue lines than on humanity. Organized religion seems to do the precise same thing.

Not a judgment.... simply an observation.

[somone]

5. Get rid of them ASAP

[sledgehammer]

6. Classy. And I'm sure you would say the same for illegal Mexican laborers as well, right?

FYI, I totally agree that they should be deported. Just amazed at the difference in tone toward illegal (and even legal) Indians and other illegals on DU.

[totodeinhere]

8. I think it's because of the perception, right or wrong, that Indians take good jobs away from legal

Americans, whereas undocumented immigrants for Latin America mostly take jobs that Americans don't want.

[juajen]

9. It is not true that Americans wouldn't take the jobs that

illegals take. They would, however, expect at least minimum wage.

[LiberalEsto]

18. It's very true in the IT industry

My husband is an IT professional and he has watched for years the increasing numbers of people from India - here on H1-B visas - taking over thousands of jobs previously held by American computer professionals.

Many American IT people have lost jobs and been forced to take low-paying work in other fields to get by. For example, Fannie Mae's IT department is almost entirely Indian now. Increasingly, IT headhunters and recruiters are Indian. Many of these jobs pay less - which is illegal - but the companies get around it by slightly changing job descriptions. The Indian Tata Corporation used to house its people in cheap dormitories around Washington DC so they could avoid the expensive apartment rents and maximize their savings before their visas expired. I don't know if they still do that, but it was true 5 years ago.

My brother-in-law is an out-of-work IT professional who has been unable to get a job for almost 3 years, except for holiday season stock work at stores.

Here's an older article about it

http://www.thenetworkadministrator.com/LosingYourJob.htm

[KeepItReal]

21. +1

Good luck on your brother-in-law finding employment. I'm hearing signs of life in IT hiring.

[OhioChick]

25. Your husband's assessment is 100% accurate....

It's a shame, as we have so many unemployed in the IT field here in the US. As for TATA and their practices, they still do that according to a colleague.

I wish your BIL the best in finding a job.

Great link...thanks for posting!

[sledgehammer]

28. Everything you say is true and correct

FYI, I have been laid off in the IT industry as well, so I completely understand. And you're only describing what the big companies do. Bring in body-shopping companies and it's another whole can of worms.

But illegals have taken millions of jobs in the lower middle class sector as well. And they have depressed wages and revenue big time. I'll give you an example from a friend of mine who recently moved: $700 in 4 hours to move a very full 3-bed townhome to a new home by a company using illegal labor. The best quote from companies not using illegals? $1300 in 8 hours.

Either way, the impact is bad. Especially since in both cases there is skirting of the law to achieve the objectives. I wish more was done.

But my point here is the difference in rhetoric. You can get away on DU with some pretty nasty comments about Indians. Just look at the comments on this thread - "send them home asap," "show 'em the door," bringing in Jindal and Nikki Haley into this just because their parents are Indian, etc.

Try that with Mexicans.

[LiberalEsto]

29. I can't blame the people themselves

whether they're from India, Mexico or whereever.

The blame squarely lies with unregulated corporations that care only for the bottom line no matter what the human cost. They want cheap labor and they don't care if it destroys the lives of American citizens.

American professionals are also competing against foreign workers who receive free educations and can afford to work for less. Too many American college graduates are saddled with huge student loan debts, and need to earn more just to pay down those debts and keep roofs over their heads. But you don't see our corporations offering to subsidize education for Americans.

I have to say I also blame foreign governments, such as those of Mexico and India, for not working harder to create jobs in their own countries so that their people don't have to go abroad to find work.

[pscot]

30. I bought an appliance from Costco last year

and the delivery was made by two guys who didn't have a word of English between them. I can't swear they were undocumented, but I would be willing to bet money on it. I don't wish them ill, but it's not right.

[sledgehammer]

32. I agree. It's pathetic that authorities hardly ever go after the employers.

The employers are the real culprits. Once you get strict on employers you make huge strides in stemming illegal immigration. Plus, it's extremely likely that neither the company nor the undocumented employees are paying any taxes at all.

Of course, if they are not undocumented and they choose not to learn/speak English, that really does suck. But not anything anyone should be punished for.

[sledgehammer]

27. Perhaps, but...

I'm not even arguing the right or wrong of this. I'm pointing out the difference in tone on DU when it comes to Indians (both legal and illegal) vs other immigrants. I've heard comments making fun of their accents, commenting on hygiene, saying things like "send the leeches home", etc. Just imagine if this stuff was said about Mexicans.

The same people who speak out vehemently against Indians, both legal and illegal, will speak nary a word against other illegals. In fact, DU is generally sympathetic to Mexican and other Latin American illegals.

And, as for the perception, I guess "good" jobs are what matter here. The millions of jobs that the lower middle class has lost to illegal immigrants are not "good" enough to insult those illegals or ask them to be sent home.

[Gormy Cuss]

33. Part of that distinction is based on the relative social and economic statuses of the immigrants.

Those coming here from Mexico and Latin America are from the poorest areas and often have little education. Those from South Asian tend to be highly educated and from at least middle class backgrounds IOW, relatively privileged. That doesn't excuse the difference in tone.

[cosmicone]

10. Amazingly, the students are being blamed despite being victims.

They paid a lot of money to get admission, paid tuition and traveled; many of them not knowing that it was a sham university.

They came in legally, obtained the work permits legally and will lose it all because of the conduct of some enterprising group that started and maintained the university.

Sitting in India, it is impossible to know what a given university is like. Even sham universities can have slick stationary, brochures and websites.

Do the victims deserve the wrath of DU just because they happen to be Indian?

How would you feel if one of you or your children were scammed this way?

[sabrina 1]

12. Thanks, sounds like they were victims. I know of a similar

situation where a priest, who had actually been kicked out of the church but who in India would have known that, ran a few schools and used to bring teachers over promising them that they would have no problem getting permanent status once they got here. He underpaid them and of course they could not get legal status without a lot of help so they were basically used as cheap labor despite being highly educated. They did not know who to go to and were afraid to complain to the authorities having no money to go back home.

Some of the parents of the children they were teaching learning of their situation, helped with legal assistance. And a warning was sent to as many colleges in India as possible against other people coming over here to work for this man.

So, people often are not even thinking of coming here, but see an ad to come and 'teach for one or two years' etc. and it seems exciting so they respond.

Each situation is different but it's all about real people, and many times people who are being victimized by greedy and corrupt individuals.

[Anakin Skywalker]

11. Don't forget Booby Jindal and that nutty Palin-endorsed woman from the East Coast!

[sledgehammer]

26. Deport Jindal and Haley? Really? Haha, you're so funny!

You know they are both born and raised Americans, right? But I guess since they're brown they should be sent "home" because other brown people were caught? Hilarious stuff!

Wondering if you would be calling for Obama's deportation if this article was about Kenyans. Or for Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to be sent back if you read the following article:

http://www.wsbt.com/news/fox17-77-arrested-in-west-michigan-i-01212011,0,2898507.story

Stay classy DU!

[Anakin Skywalker]

34. It's called a "joke", get it? Stay lighthearted DU!

[sledgehammer]

36. Yes, I recognized the failed attempt. A pretty useless joke, and one in poor taste.

Welcome to my ignore list.

[dipsydoodle]

14. We get / had exactly the same shams here in the UK

:(

Ours need deporting too.

[cosmicone]

15. Then again, did the brits have visas to colonize India and loot the wealth ?

It was okay for Europeans to go, loot, pillage, plunder and subjugate countries in the name of colonialism but god forbid if any of the impoverished dream of doing the reverse!!

[dipsydoodle]

16. I didn't say they were Indian

I said there were sham universities.

Aside from that some details here from last July.

Tens of thousands of foreign students may have entered the UK to study at bogus colleges, MPs believe, before the system of accreditation was tightened up this year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8165269.stm

and

The government is still not dealing adequately with bogus colleges which supply fraudulent student visas, says a report by the home affairs committee.

MPs on the committee said tens of thousands of foreign nationals may have entered the UK illegally in this way.

In a critical report, they said the word "college" should be restricted to institutions accredited by the state.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8159227.stm

[cosmicone]

17. You said, "ours need deporting too ..."

one deports individuals, not colleges!

[dipsydoodle]

19. That meant

all such bluff students - not just Indians.

[treestar]

31. Why are they here when the jobs are in India?

:shrug:

[sarcasmo]

35. Good.

[1896educational]

37. There are far too many of these places

that rob US citizens with fake degrees.