US Telugu bodies assure all assistance to students

Vijayawada: AP Non-Resident Telugu Society president and advisor to AP government on Non-Resident Telugu affairs Vemuri Ravi Kumar assured that parents of the students who are facing arrests in the sting operation in the United States need not panic as APNRT will provide all support and legal assistance through its coordinators.

Addressing media here on Thursday, Ravi Kumar said that as per the information, about 15 students who were pursuing MS were taken into custody by the US security personnel. It is learnt that around 600 students were cheated by eight Indian educational consultants. All the eight agents along with 15 students were being interrogated by the police, said Ravi Kumar.

He said that the parents need not panic as the students are the victims and the students after verification of the legality will be deported to India.
However, stern action will be taken against the agents for misleading the students. He further said that hundreds of Indians living in the US are facing deportation, a further ban on entering into the country, and even arrest, because of a massive operation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

APNRT CEO Bhavani Sankar recalled that similar sting operation was done earlier also to weed out certain fake universities. “The students who want to go to the US should know the law,” he said.

He said that to tackle the present situation, the APNRT has started a help desk and will help the students as they are the victims. He said that there are 290 APNRT coordinator across the world and can dial the Helpline number 08632340678, for 24/7 assistance. He said that this problem arises as most of the people going to the US want to stay back and they are ending up in a mess.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society on Thursday said it would extend required assistance to the students concerned. The society asked parents of the students not to panic as the US government would only deport illegal immigrants.

The American Telugu Association has also taken up the cause of the students with the Indian Ambassador to the US. The ATA promised all legal assistance to the aggrieved students in the case.

Several foreigners, including from India, are facing deportation from the US after authorities busted a “pay to stay” visa racket and arrested eight people on charges of fraudulently facilitating at least 600 immigrants to illegally remain in the country.

In late-night and pre-dawn raids, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested eight foreigners -- all of whom are either Indian nationals or Indian Americans -- for aiding foreign nationals to remain in the United States illegally by actively recruiting them to enrol into a fake university in Farmington Hills in Metro Detroit. (With inputs from agencies)