12/20/2019
ICE Acting Deputy Director sets the record straight on fraud investigations involving undercover schools
Acting Deputy Director Derek Benner addresses the public misconceptions about ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ use of undercover schools —specifically the University of Farmington—to identify and disrupt attempts by foreign students and recruiters to exploit the nonimmigrant student visa system to remain in the country through fraud.
Dear Editor:
Over the past few weeks, the University of Farmington (Farmington), an undercover investigation run by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has been the focus of several media reports. These reports mischaracterized the purpose and rationale for the investigation, and I want to set the record straight. HSI is responsible for enforcing more than 400 federal statutes, including laws related to the student visa system. An estimated 1.2 million nonimmigrant students studied at more than 8,200 U.S. schools during 2018, promoting cultural exchange, providing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, and contributing to research and development. Criminals and some students, however, exploit the student visa system, allowing foreign nationals to remain in the United States in violation of their nonimmigrant status.
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-acting-deputy-director-sets-record-straight-fraud-investigations-involving
