ICE finds MORE THAN 10,000 cases of student visa fraud

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Developing this morning, ICE is uncovering more on illegal immigration fraud, now identifying thousands of foreign students who claim to be working for employers by abusing a controversial visa work authorization program. ICE says more than 10,000 foreign students are taking part in potential fraud through a program that allows them to extend their stay in the US after graduating from college. They can do so for up to 2 years in fact. That program is the federal government's optional practical training program called OPT.

[00:00:33]This is only the tip of the iceberg.

[00:00:34]Many of these employers include NGOs engaged in suspicious activity.

[00:00:38]We've discovered empty buildings and locked doors at addresses where hundreds of foreign students are allegedly employed. In many cases, multiple OPT employers claim to operate from the same address, but none actually lease a facility.

[00:00:53]We found small residential addresses listed as work sites for hundreds of foreign students, yet no employees were present. So, ICE is now looking into those employers, alleged employers, some who claim to have offshore HR and payroll personnel. Many of the employers also had tax liens, civil lawsuit collections, and breaches of contract on their records.