DHS uncovers immigration fraud ring involving more than 10,000 foreign students through phantom jobs
The announcement was made by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons during a press conference with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials. The authorities assured that the investigations revealed multiple irregularities linked to companies and beneficiaries of the program.
Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE (File).
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reported that it identified more than 10,000 possible cases of fraud related to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, an initiative that allows foreign students to stay temporarily in the country after graduation to gain work experience.
The announcement was made by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons during a press conference along with officials from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The authorities assured that the investigations revealed multiple irregularities linked to companies and beneficiaries of the program.
What is the OPT program?
In addition to offering professional experience, OPT often becomes a pathway for many graduates to subsequently access an H-1B work visa sponsored by U.S. companies.
Research findings
According to ICE, investigators conducted site visits and reviewed business operations linked to the program. Among the findings, authorities noted instances in which OPT beneficiaries were being "managed" by employees located in India, which allegedly violated program rules, as training and supervision must be conducted within the United States.
Authorities also alleged the existence of supposed shell companies used to help foreign graduates stay in the country without the legitimate sponsorship of a U.S. company. According to ICE, some of these structures would be involved in financial fraud and other violations of U.S. immigration and labor laws.
During the conference, Todd Lyons affirmed that "our nation will not tolerate security threats originating from the foreign student program."
Political debate and criticism of the program
The findings could reinforce the positions of political sectors that for years have questioned immigration programs aimed at highly skilled workers and students. Advocates of more restrictive immigration policies argue that some companies use OPT and similar mechanisms to hire foreign workers at lower wages, thus avoiding employing higher-paid U.S. college graduates.
The program had already come under scrutiny during the Donald Trump administration. In 2025, the government pushed a offensive against student visas and OPT beneficiaries, resulting in multiple lawsuits from foreign students who denounced the unjustified cancellation of their immigration status.
That same year, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow testified before lawmakers that he would seek to end the program, arguing that it is not explicitly established in federal law.
What could come after the news?
The ICE revelations could increase political pressure to reform or restrict the OPT program. Tighter controls on sponsoring companies and foreign students participating in this immigration and labor system are also expected.
The case brings the discussion on immigration, employment and the role of the programs aimed at attracting international talent to the country's universities and companies back to the center of public discourse in the U.S.
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