The Department of Homeland Security created a university in Michigan called the University of Farmington, which promised students a “pay to stay” student visa…and it was all a scam. The sting operation has now drawn heavy criticism from people who are already against ICE, and many critics blame Donald Trump, although the program began during forever President Obama’s term.
According to the Washington Examiner, ICE arrested 90 illegal immigrants in a sting operation using the fake university. The total sting operation arrests is approximately 250 since January. The fake University of Farmington marketed to foreign-born students looking to work in technology and told students they could be enrolled in the school to get into the United States on student visas and then never attend the school as part of a “pay to stay” scam.
Students who agreed to the program were immediately arrested on visa fraud and subsequently deported. Only 10% of the 250 students caught in the sting had to be deported by Customs and Border Protection. 80% self-deported after being caught. The remaining 10% have their status in limbo as they contest their deportation to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, claiming the sting was entrapment.
Many Democrats took to Twitter to condemn Trump and ICE for using a fake university in their raid, to include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren who called it “cruel and appalling.” Sen. Warren tweeted, “…These students simply dreamed of getting high-quality higher education America can offer. ICE deceived and entrapped them, just to deport them.”
