An undercover operation launched by US authorities to catch people allegedly misusing the student visa system has now left five Indian students fighting to get their money back. The students had enrolled at the University of Farmington in the belief that they were joining a genuine educational institution. But the university was actually part of a government sting operation designed to expose student visa fraud.
Now, five Indian students who claim they believed it was a real university are struggling to recover their money.
The students approached the US Court of Federal Claims, saying they had enrolled in the institution believing it was a legitimate, accredited university. They claimed to have paid substantial tuition fees before discovering that the university was actually a government-run setup.
However, the court has dismissed their collective lawsuit, ruling that each student’s case must be examined separately. The judge said it was necessary to establish whether the students knew about the university’s true nature when they applied, secured admission and paid their fees.
The court observed that while some students may have genuinely wanted to pursue higher education, others may have enrolled mainly to maintain their legal status in the US. Treating everyone as innocent without examining their individual intentions could also benefit those who knowingly participated in visa fraud.
The operation, known as Operation Paper Chase, was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The university was created to identify foreign nationals and brokers allegedly involved in schemes to misuse student visas.
According to court documents, the operation collected more than $6.5 million in tuition fees. Around eight brokers and recruiters were arrested and later sentenced for offences linked to facilitating illegal entry into the US and visa fraud. The operation came to light in January 2019 after raids by US agencies. Hundreds of students were deported, while others reportedly left the country voluntarily.
The case is connected to the ‘pay-to-stay’ practice, in which foreign nationals whose work authorisation is nearing expiry allegedly enrol in educational institutions mainly to continue staying in the US. While genuine education programmes can provide eligible students a legal route to remain in the country, enrolling in a fake institution without intending to study can amount to visa fraud.
An appellate court had sent the matter back to the lower court in 2024 for reconsideration, clarifying that agreements connected to illegal activities cannot be legally enforced. Students who knowingly participated in such arrangements may therefore not be entitled to recover their fees.
With the latest ruling, the five Indian students will now have to establish their claims individually. They must show that they genuinely intended to study and were unaware of the university’s role in the undercover operation.
The dismissal does not mean that all five students have been found guilty of fraud. Their chances of getting their tuition fees back will depend on whether they can prove that they were misled.
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