Overview
- ICE and DHS leaders disclosed Tuesday that inspections tied to the Optional Practical Training work program identified more than 10,000 foreign students linked to highly suspect employers.
- Agents reported empty offices, locked buildings, duplicate business addresses, and small homes listed as worksites for hundreds of students, with some students never appearing at the jobs they claimed.
- Homeland Security Investigations said visits in north Texas uncovered coordinated employer clusters using near-identical websites and shared management, and a separate Houston case involved alleged pay‑to‑stay coaching for visa status.
- Officials cited financial red flags at alleged employers, including tax liens and missing payroll records, and said some firms claimed offshore HR and payroll operations that hinder basic oversight.
- OPT lets international students work in the U.S. for up to a year, often as a step toward H‑1B sponsorship, and the program’s growth has drawn fresh scrutiny as ICE, HSI, and USCIS pursue ongoing probes across multiple states.