A blog about U.S. immigration matters by Paul Szeto, a former INS attorney and an experienced immigration lawyer. We serve clients in all U.S. states and overseas countries. (All information is not legal advice and is subject to change without prior notice.)

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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

University of Farmington: Another Fake School Setup by DHS

According to a Detroit News story published today, the University of Farmington in Detroit was set up as a fake school by the Department of Homeland Security in a sting operation to catch certain individuals that have been recruiting foreign students for profit.  

"These suspects aided hundreds of foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by helping to portray them as students, which they most certainly were not," according to the ICE Special Agent in charge.   

The indictments charged eight individuals with participating in a conspiracy to assist at least 600 foreign nationals to stay in the U.S. illegally. 

This is at least the second time that DHS has set up fake schools for law enforcement purposes.  From 2013 to 2016, another fake school, the University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ), was set up and operated by DHS in Cranford, New Jersey, for a similar operation.  About 1,000 foreign students were involved and many of them had to leave the country after UNNJ was closed down. See, https://myimmigrationlawyer.blogspot.com/2016/04/1000-foreign-students-face-sudden.html

This is just another example that foreign students must be very careful when they select a school to attend in the United States.  Colleges and universities that offer something too good to be true -- e.g., multiple online or distance learning classes, generous CPT programs, relaxed grading policies, etc -- might not be legitimate educational institutions.  Students who enroll in them could end up losing their legal status and be forced to leave the country.

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