Indian Students Caught in US Trying to Illegally Extend Their Stay

US Department of Homeland Security caught 306 students in a sting operation trying to illegally extend their stay.

A file photo of Indian students at NPU. (Photo Courtesy: NPU’s Facebook Page)

The US will take action against 306 Indian students caught in a sting operation for allegedly trying to extend their stay in the country illegitimately, a top State Department official said on Tuesday.

For the most part, all the students came on legitimate student visas. It was actually when they were in the country that some of them sought to extend their stay in the United States is my understanding.

<b>Mark Toner, Deputy Spokesperson, State Department</b>

The students were caught in a sting operation conducted by Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As many as 21 brokers and middle-men including 11 people of Indian-origin were arrested in the first week of April as a result of the sting operation.

Toner clarified that action will be taken only against those Indian students who tried to extend their stay in the US illegitimately. No student with a genuine visa will be harassed.

These individuals who came here on a student visa did come either to work or to study legitimately. They did qualify for student visas. It was only after living here, attending university or whatever, that they then decided to again allegedly seek out the assistance of this criminal organisation to extend their stay in the United States. That’s an important clarification.

<b>Mark Toner, Deputy Spokesperson, State Department</b>

Responding to a question, Toner said these Indian students were issued visas by US diplomatic missions in India to study in well recognised American educational institutions and not the fake university created by Department of Homeland Security as part of the sting operation.