ICE Crackdown: Detained Indian Students Released, But…

The US government led by President Donald Trump has been taking stern measures to deport immigrants who are breaking the law. As part of the ongoing crackdown, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are conducting raids on several establishments in some cities to arrest migrants violating their visa norms. 

Recently, a viral news claimed that two Indian students who are on F1 visa were detained by ICE agents at a restaurant in Minnesota. The incident took place at an Indian restaurant in St Louis Park. Some of the pictures captured from the incident went viral on social media platforms, triggering anxiety and fear among Indian students staying in the US. 

The latest update is that both the students were released after a couple of hours by the ICE agents after verification of their legal status. Reports suggest that the immigration officers checked their visa details and other documents to confirm their identity and legality of stay in the country and released them without causing any inconvenience. The news came as a sigh of relief for the Indian community.

However, the incident has once again highlighted the need for caution among Indian students to not take up part-time jobs and work outside campuses which is illegal as per US immigration rules. Legally, students are allowed on-campus jobs only up to 20 hours per week during semesters. 

But many students work in local Indian restaurants, malls, motels and gas stations with a cash-in-hand arrangement which is a serious violation of the visa status that may deprieve them of F-1 status, visa cancellation and future employment opportunities in the US.

Experts are advising students to be wary of the immigration checks and cautioning them not take up part-time jobs while pursuing their higher education.