Summary
- ICE identified more than 10,000 foreign students claiming work for highly suspect Optional Practical Training employers.
- Investigators reported empty offices, shared addresses without leases and students who never appeared at their stated workplaces.
- DHS cited the investigation in an October proposal to change program fees and increase schools’ oversight responsibilities.
Thousands of workers, empty business addresses
Immigration and Customs Enforcement identified more than 10,000 foreign students connected to highly suspect employers in its Optional Practical Training investigation, announced on May 12 and cited in an October 8 DHS proposal.
The government described buildings where hundreds of students supposedly worked but investigators found locked doors or unused offices. Multiple employers claimed the same business address even though none appeared on the lease. Some listed residences as workplaces for large numbers of students, with no employees present during visits.
Investigators also reported students with employment authorization who never showed up for the work they claimed. The findings concern suspected employer networks and employment records; the announced figure does not identify 10,000 completed criminal cases.
ICE’s public account described coordinated employer clusters with matching websites and shared personnel. It also alleged that some networks sent students to unreported third-party employers. Reporting on the announcement described worksite visits across eight states.
A training benefit depends on real employment
OPT permits eligible international students to undertake temporary work related to their studies. The investigation included employers participating in its science, technology, engineering and mathematics extension, known as STEM OPT.
A March 23 notice from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program had already warned school officials about fraud risks involving recruitment, consulting and staffing businesses. The notice, preserved by MIT’s International Students Office, identified unused premises, offshore payroll staff and business representatives unable to explain their own operations.
It also described inconsistent statements about companies and their students, inoperative telephone numbers and workers who never appeared. Other warning signs included vague employer websites and job activities that did not match descriptions supplied to schools.
The notice told designated school officials and students how to report suspected noncompliance. Students with concerns about wages or working conditions could also report them to the Department of Labor. Employers and students suspected of fraud could be referred for administrative or criminal investigation.
DHS uses the findings to argue for tighter oversight
DHS’s October 8 Federal Register document cited the investigation while proposing new OPT fees. The department argued that additional financial responsibility for schools would encourage closer scrutiny before officials recommended students for the program.
The document describes an oversight system struggling to keep pace with participation. It cites an earlier Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman report warning that compliance resources were not scaled to the program’s size.
The October document is a proposed rule. Its publication and discussion of enforcement findings do not establish that its fee changes have taken effect.
The March notice also recognizes that students may encounter misleading recruiters or noncompliant employers. It directs school officials to remind students to seek guidance when a recruiter’s advice raises questions and provides reporting routes for suspected employer misconduct.
Related Reading
- DHS: October 8 proposed rule and investigation citations
- ICE: May 12 announcement
- SEVP: March 23 employer-fraud notice preserved by MIT
- ICE’s published summary of suspect-employer findings
- Fox News: announcement and multistate visits
- Under The Fold: Operation Guardian enforcement
- Under The Fold: federal-benefit fraud findings
