The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced a significant enforcement action against the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows international students to work temporarily in the country. ICE Director Todd M. Lyons described the program as a 'magnet for fraud' during a press conference on Tuesday, revealing that the agency has uncovered irregularities involving nearly 10,000 foreign students participating in the federal initiative.
Background of the OPT Program
Lyons provided historical context, noting that the OPT program was established under the Bush administration and later expanded under the Obama administration. At its inception, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) anticipated that only a few thousand foreign students would receive training approval before returning to their home countries. However, contrary to expectations, the program has exploded into an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline, with hundreds of thousands of foreign students now working in the United States.
Escalation of Fraud
'As the program size exploded, so did the fraud,' Lyons stated. He detailed that during the first Trump administration, authorities uncovered thousands of foreign students claiming employment at work sites that did not exist, blatantly fabricating information provided to DHS. Under the Biden administration, the fraud escalated even further, he added. ICE has identified 10,000 students working for highly suspect employers, which Lyons described as 'just the tip of the iceberg.' These companies are among the top 25 OPT employers.
Investigators discovered empty buildings and locked doors at addresses where hundreds of foreign students were allegedly employed. In many cases, multiple OPT employers claimed to operate from the same address, but none actually leased the facility. The agency continues to investigate the extent of the fraudulent activities.
