19 Telugu Students Detained in US Fake Univ Case Allowed to Return

Another 100 Telugu students are still held up at 30 other detention centres, the report said.

129 students were detained by US immigration authorities for enrolling in a fake university.

(Photo Courtesy: ICE)

19 Telugu students, who had enrolled in a fake institution called the University of Farmington, have been granted permission for voluntary departure to India by a local court, the Hindustan Times reported.

After the fake university in Michigan was floated by the federal police to expose the ‘pay-to-stay’ racket, many students hailing from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were detained.

According to the report, 20 students have been under detention at two separate centres since 31 January.

Two Telugu students and one Palestinian student were given departure permission last Saturday, 9 February, and 17 remaining Telugu students were granted permission by a Michigan court on Tuesday, 12 February. Another 100 Telugu students are still held up at 30 other detention centres.

“Some have come out of the detention centres on bail bond and others are in the process of getting the same. If the courts in their respective states grant permission for voluntary departure, they can come back to India. It all depends on the intensity of the charges against them and the discretion of the judges,” Sagar Doddapaneni, AP Non-Resident Telugus (APNRT) Society coordinator, told Hindustan Times.

The students permitted voluntary departure are allowed to leave for India only through identified routes as directed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and have been given time till 26 February.

The American Telugu Association (ATA) opened up registration for a webinar titled ‘University of Farmington ICE Issue : Effect on F-1 CPT Employment’ after hundreds of Indian students were detained for being part of the scheme that violated US immigration norms.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)