ICE Says More Than 10,000 Potential Fraud Cases Found in Foreign Student Work Program
Federal immigration officials say investigators have uncovered more than 10,000 potential fraud cases tied to a foreign student work authorization program, intensifying scrutiny of what critics describe as an open-borders enforcement failure within the U.S. visa system.
The findings involve the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for F-1 visa holders, which allows international graduates to remain in the United States after completing their degrees and work in fields related to their studies.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons said during a briefing alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials that the OPT system is under heightened review amid what he described as widespread abuse involving both employers and foreign nationals.
He said investigators have identified suspected fraud involving job placements, shell companies, and falsified or inconsistent employment records used to maintain visa status, NRI Pulse reported.
According to ICE officials, initial investigative efforts have focused on a group of high-volume employers participating in the program.
The agency said the more than 10,000 potential fraud cases identified so far represent preliminary findings and may reflect only a portion of a broader review.
Investigators reported patterns involving companies that allegedly sponsor large numbers of foreign students while showing limited evidence of legitimate business operations.
In multiple cases, listed worksites were found to be residential addresses, vacant office spaces, or postal box locations used as business headquarters.
HSI teams conducting fieldwork in Texas identified what officials described as clusters of interconnected companies operating from shared locations.
These entities often displayed similar websites, overlapping staffing structures, and nearly identical job postings while denying formal business relationships with one another.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Lyons said. “Over the past year, we’ve dramatically expanded our oversight of OPT and can report that we’ve found fraud nationwide.”
The findings involve the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for F-1 visa holders, which allows international graduates to remain in the United States after completing their degrees and work in fields related to their studies.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons said during a briefing alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials that the OPT system is under heightened review amid what he described as widespread abuse involving both employers and foreign nationals.
He said investigators have identified suspected fraud involving job placements, shell companies, and falsified or inconsistent employment records used to maintain visa status, NRI Pulse reported.
According to ICE officials, initial investigative efforts have focused on a group of high-volume employers participating in the program.
The agency said the more than 10,000 potential fraud cases identified so far represent preliminary findings and may reflect only a portion of a broader review.
Investigators reported patterns involving companies that allegedly sponsor large numbers of foreign students while showing limited evidence of legitimate business operations.
In multiple cases, listed worksites were found to be residential addresses, vacant office spaces, or postal box locations used as business headquarters.
HSI teams conducting fieldwork in Texas identified what officials described as clusters of interconnected companies operating from shared locations.
These entities often displayed similar websites, overlapping staffing structures, and nearly identical job postings while denying formal business relationships with one another.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Lyons said. “Over the past year, we’ve dramatically expanded our oversight of OPT and can report that we’ve found fraud nationwide.”
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