The government on Saturday took exception to the use of monitors on a group of Indian students from an American university, shut down on suspicion of being a front for immigration fraud. The fixing of tags on the students is “unwarranted and should be removed,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Foreign Office also called upon the United States federal authorities to give the students ample opportunity to present their case. Those who wish to return to India should be allowed to do so voluntarily and those who have not violated any visa or immigration laws should be given an opportunity to adjust their status, Foreign Office spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said in a statement.
Students eligible to seek transfer to other universities should be given adequate opportunity and time to do so, he added.
“The government is seriously concerned about the impact of the U.S. federal action on the Indian students, enrolled in the now closed Tri Valley University (TVU) in California. A majority of these students had transferred from other U.S. universities — approximately 100 had obtained visas from the U.S. mission in India, and a number of students are dependents of their spouses, and had enrolled in TVU after taking the required authorisation.”
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Mr. Prakash said the San Francisco Consulate and the MEA were in touch with the students and the U.S. authorities. “We have conveyed to the U.S. authorities that the students, most of whom are victims themselves, must be treated fairly and reasonably.”
The U.S. government has been asked to provide full information on the affected students and keep India informed as the investigation unfolds, as well as, of the action being taken against the promoters of the university and others involved in perpetrating the fraud. The principal investigator has provided the Indian Consulate a list of Immigration attorneys who are prepared to guide/advise the students free of charge on immigration procedures. This list is available on the website of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The Consulate has also put up a link on its home page to receive details of all ex-TVU students in the U.S.
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The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has proposed to bring out a detailed advisory for all students of the university, sometime next week, which will be available on its website.
The ICE has advised all TVU students to report to its nearest office for instructions. Students currently in India with TVU sponsored visas should not travel to the U.S. with that visa. They can apply to other universities and, if admitted, could apply for new visas.