ICE nabs 1,076 foreign students in 'egregious' visa scam

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested 21 people Tuesday for conspiring to enroll more than 1,000 foreigners in a non-existent New Jersey college as part of a massive “pay-to-stay” scheme.

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit nabbed brokers, recruiters and employers from across the country who had pretended to sign up 1,076 students, primarily from China and India, at the University of Northern New Jersey. The foreign students will be charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and making a false statement, while the U.S. residents are being charged with conspiracy to harbor aliens for profit and H-1B visa fraud.