India on Saturday said that the Indian students of California-based Tri Valley University, which has been shut down on charges of massive visa fraud, should be absorbed into other United States universities and not victimised.
Diplomats in Washington, DC, San Francisco, and other places have expressed their disquiet at the way Indian students have been treated like potential fugitives--even criminals--only because of irregularities in the way their university was run. It is not clear how much success they have had in helping Indian students, who are still paying thousands of dollars in bail.
A much-awaited advisory from the Department the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement may alleviate the fears of legitimate students of Tri-Valley University, which was closed following charges of fraud. The advisory, posted on Tuesday, provides students with a few options, including the one to return home without being barred re-entry to the US in future.
As radio-tagging of scores of Indian students duped by a 'sham' United States university continues to cause anger back home, the controversial institute has claimed that one of its Indian-origin staff was responsible for the immigration fraud and it was not directly involved in it. Breaking its silence, the California-based Tri Valley University, which was shut down in January, termed as 'baseless' the allegations of immigration fraud against the institute.
The US sought to justify the use of ankle monitors on the students, duped by now closed Tri-Valley University, saying it was widespread across America as a standard procedure for a variety of investigations and does not necessarily imply guilt or suspicion of criminal activity.
India has asked the United States to take a "lenient" view of the students duped by a California-based Tri-Valley University, dubbed as the "sham" university by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, amidst reports that they were forced to wear radio collars around their ankles so that American authorities can keep a track of their movements.
After being duped by a California-based "sham" university, scores of Indian students in the United States are now enduring the ignominy of being forced to wear radio collars around their ankles so that authorities can keep track of their movements.
Electronic tagging is back to haunt students once again in the United States. Two students from the Tri-Valley University, which has been shut down on charges of a massive visa fraud, were radio tagged in Virginia on Tuesday following a meeting with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at Prosperity Avenue in Fairfax.
A tremendous effort made by the Indian government to stop the arrest and harassment of the Indian students who are victims of the Tri-Valley University seems in vain, as students are still been taken to the detention center by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
The United States has assured India of providing 'fair solution' to Indian students affected by the shut down of California-based Tri Valley University, which has been accused of a massive visa fraud.
About 60 students of the Pleasanton, California-based Tri-Valley University--shut down by federal authorities for alleged visa fraud--met India's consul general in San Francisco February 1, requesting for help in finding a way out from the nightmare they say has fallen on them.
The Indian Consulate in San Francisco and the South Asian Bar Association will hold a free legal camp for Indian students who have been affected by the alleged immigration scam of Tri-Valley University, which was closed by the federal investigating agencies last week.
Apparently seeking to cool tempers over Indians being tagged in the United States, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday said the issue should be understood from the "larger perspective" that over 1.8 lakh Indians are studying there and the matter relates to "12 or 18 students".
Humiliating treatment of stranded Indian students of the scam-hit Tri Valley University in the United States has left their families back home seething with anger and worried about the future of their wards.
Duped by an American university, a harassed group of Indian students has met the Consul General in San Francisco seeking help to complete their studies and claimed that they have not violated any law.
"It is not going to happen and closure will happen in 2 or 3 months. I feel, definitely it would be much longer than that may be 6 or 7 months or 8 months", Susmita Gongulee Thomas, the Consul General of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco said.
The state government is looking at legislation to ensure that there is better regulation when it comes to visa consultants. There will also be a thorough scrutiny of existing agencies so that such incidents do not occur in the future, government sources said.
The jury trial of Susan Xiao Ping Su, the president and owner of the now shutdown Tri-Valley University in California, began on March 3.
The criminal jury trail of Susan Su, founder of the Tri Valley University in California that harboured thousands of Indian students, entered a crucial phase on Wednesday with closing statements by both the plaintiff and defence lawyers.
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