Page 7 - ELG1903 Mar-Apr Issue 464

NEWS

Hundreds held in fake Uni sting…

By Matt Salusbury at the university knowing they – said, “These are ICE
would not actually attend classes. students who are
The ‘University of Farmington’ in “Their intent was to fraudulently trying to make their
Michigan was closed at the end of maintain their student visa status lives better, these are
January when a federal indictment and to obtain work authorization,” not criminals.”
was unsealed, revealing that the the indictment said. ICE Most of the
institution, operating for almost maintains all the students knew arrested students are
two years, was actually a sting by the university was fake. from India, whose
undercover agents of Homeland The University of Farmington, government took the
Security and Immigration and however, shared its offices with unusual step of asking
Customs Enforcement (ICE) to other businesses whose workers for immediate access
ensnare recruitment consultants described students turning up to the detainees via
and students involved in wearing backpacks, wanting to the US embassy in
immigration fraud. know the University’s opening New Delhi. The
More than 20 recruitment agents times. Guardian reported
were charged with conspiracy Nada Abdulmeseh, who works that as of 5 February,
following the Farmington sting. in the building, told CBS News Indian diplomats
They are alleged to have recruited she regularly met students who have visited 36
students on a “pay to stay” basis, were having trouble making detention centres
taking fees from students whose contact with their university, across the US.
visas would give them work rights, asking about when and how to A previous
but who had no intention to talk to people “about classes they Homeland Security
actually study while in the US. paid for.” Another worker in the sting set up the
A number of students – building, Russell Abrutyn, told bogus University
somewhere between 130 and 161, CBS, “some of those people didn’t of Northern New ICE set up a fake website using images
according to various reports – even know” that their university Jersey (see the May of the university to lure foreign students.
who enrolled at Farmington have was a sting. 2016 Gazette). But this was a more who believed they were enrolling
since been arrested and are in Law professor Amer Zahr, obvious “pay to stay” operation. in a genuine university.
immigration detention. spokesman for Palestinian student Farmington, by contrast, may have ICE told CBS and other news
ICE’s indictment claims that Najlaa Krim Musarsa – one of been too convincing, resulting in outlets it is unable to comment
a total of 600 students enrolled the Farmington students arrested the ensnaring of innocent students about ongoing investigations.

…as ICE rounds up Australia mourns Aiia

TOEFL test cheats By Matt Salusbury whose T-shirt and baseball cap

Aiia Maasarwe was studying were apparently found near the
Agents of US Customs and Some of these students were English at La Trobe University crime scene, and who lived in a
Immigration Enforcement (ICE) subsequently unable to graduate in Melbourne, Australia, when Bundoora squat.
have arrested five US nationals of due to poor English, according to she was raped and murdered. A He has been charged with rape
Chinese origin in connection with the report. 20-year-old man has been charged. and murder and placed in custody
an impersonation scam. The ICE indictment alleges that In January, the Israeli exchange until June.
The suspects are accused of Liu Cai led the scheme and took student got off the tram near her Maasarwe’s father arrived in
using counterfeit People’s Republic at least five Toefl tests using false suburban accommodation in Melbourne to identify her body
of China passports in the name of passports in the name of a test Bundoora. She was on the phone and attended several vigils for her
Chinese national candidates for taker with his photo substituted. to her sister in Israel when she before repatriating the body.
the Toefl English exam, and taking Quant Cao, Elric Zhang, was attacked. Her body was found Following Maasarwe’s murder,
the tests for them. Mohan Zhang and Samantha dumped in bushes. the State of Victoria announced
The arrests, in mid-March, Wang are alleged to have taken “Safety for women” marches an extra 100 security officers
which took place mostly in the Los at least two Teofl tests each, using took place in several Australian to be deployed on trams across
Angeles area, followed a multi- similarly-tampered passports. cities in the wake of the killing, Melbourne.
agency investigation led by ICE’s The defendants, all in their which police describes
Homeland Security Investigation twenties, were in custody at as an “opportunistic,
unit, assisted by Toefl test provider the time of reporting, awaiting random attack”. WIKIPEDIA
Education Testing Service (ETS). charging hearings. The Australian Prime
Special Agent Christopher investigation continues. Minister Scott Morrison
Kuemmerle told the Los Angeles “On top of allowing students described the death as
Times that at least 40 Chinese to cheat their way into our top the “most despicable of
nationals involved in the scam universities, schemes such as this crimes… Every woman
falsely evidenced their English exploit our nation’s immigration in Australia… should
proficiency to obtain F-1 student system and threaten our national be able to travel home
visas and admissions to institutions security,” said Joseph Macias, in safety.”
including Columbia University, UC Special Agent in charge of the Police have arrested
Irvine and New York University. investigation. Codey Herrmann,

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