(WASHINGTON D.C., 8/16/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said it has joined more than 40 South Asian and other civil rights groups seeking a settlement to return student tuition money and immigration benefits to applicants to the “University of Farmington,” set up by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to catch fraudulent recruiters.
A letter signed by the civil rights organizations states that the University of Farmington, “set up to supposedly expose student visa fraud, led to the entrapment of Indian students who were eventually detained without due process, and whose tuition and fees totaling over six million dollars were seized by DHS.” All of the students were of Indian origin, apart from one who was Palestinian.
Although video evidence released in 2020 reportedly shows that some of the applicants knew a law was being broken in applying to the fake university, it has never been proven that all students were aware. ICE began terminating students’ immigration status, claiming that any student who enrolled in the fake university was knowingly participating in visa fraud. One student was allegedly awoken by ICE agents and held in custody for two months with no advanced notice given.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw said:
“This was a clear-cut case of entrapment, and there is reason to believe the students were targeted on the basis of their national origin. This is completely unjust and unacceptable behavior on the part of a government agency that must be redressed. The money and immigration benefits seized from these students must be returned.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: [email protected], CC [email protected]
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]