How did the government not think this was illegal?

Court documents unsealed last month unveiled a stunning scheme by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a fake university – with no classes or professors, just a staff of undercover agents who went on to build a case that has seen 161 foreign nationals arrested.

[...]

The University of Farmington website described a college that would prepare students to succeed in an “ever-globalizing economy.” Students would show up at campus wearing backpacks and asking questions about classes. The US government listed Farmington as eligible to enroll foreign students. The school president, whose LinkedIn page is still online, sent emails to students describing his institution as “a nationally accredited institution authorized to enroll international students.”

But it was all a sham to snare immigrants.

Court documents unsealed last month unveiled a stunning scheme by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a fake university – with no classes or professors, just a staff of undercover agents who went on to build a case that has seen 161 foreign nationals arrested.

[...]

[Nine] people were charged with criminal violations and are accused of helping enroll the students in exchange for cash, kickbacks, and tuition credits from February 2017 to January 2019.

Attorneys and civil rights advocates emphasize there is a stark line between the eight indicted on criminal charges and the students arrested on civil charges.

[...]

Most of the students were Indian and the country’s government issued a rare “démarche” to the US Embassy in New Delhi stating the government needed immediate access to the detainees. As of 5 February, India consular officials had visited 36 different detention centers across the US and created a 24/7 hotline for impacted students.

Since the indictment was unsealed on 30 January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) has maintained each of the more than 600 people enrolled at the University of Farmington knew they would not attend real classes or earn credits. “Their intent was to fraudulently maintain their student visa status and to obtain work authorization,” the indictment said.

[...]

Ice has been under fire in recent years for its aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, which target criminals and people who have civil immigration violations in equal measure.

  Guardian

Sure. Did they also know it was a trap?

Workers at the building listed as University of Farmington’s location told local news channel WXYZ that students would come in asking what time the school opened and closed and complained they had trouble getting in touch with school representatives.

Sure, that sounds like people who know they're involved in a sham operation.

At the University of Farmington, federal agents posed as school officials in emails and registered the school with the state of Michigan, according to emails obtained by The Detroit Free Press.

I'm assuming the state of Michigan was complicit, and not simply duped.

A 2008 Ice handbook leaked last year showed that while undercover agents are advised not to induce people to commit crimes, exceptions can be made and are internally regulated.

They know entrapment isn't legal.

This is not the first sham university created by Ice. In 2016, the agency announced the University of Northern New Jersey was not a legitimate school and its only employees were undercover agents. Then, too, the government insisted the more than 1,000 students were aware they were participating in a fraud. About 20 brokers were also arrested for recruiting students.

How do they get these brokers to participate and then arrest them? I would guess they entrap brokers by advertising the jobs and then offer them non-prosecution or leniency if they help entrap students.

[Angelo Guisado, staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights] cautioned that creating a sham university was in line with other tactics used by Ice, such as its habit also revealed last month of creating fake court dates for immigration hearings.

Guisado said: “This is not the first fake university that DHS created and I don’t think it will be the last.”

No doubt.

And as if that wasn't bad enough...



Sure.  Contact your DHS office.  If they didn't get you when you went to the fake school, they'll get you at their offices.

This announcement makes it look like the school was shuttered because of criminal activity and the DHS is going to help you.  Jesus wept.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.