By Kashmira Konduparty
Vice President JD Vance made a post on X, appreciating the fraud task force for exposing a racket involving nearly 10,000 foreign students. “We will not tolerate foreign nationals abusing our visa system at the expense of the American people,” he said.
Todd M. Lyons, the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), released information on fraud related to the 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension for students with F-1 visas. He stated that “OPT has become the magnet of fraud.”
“OPT ballooned into an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline, with hundreds of thousands of foreign students working in the United States,” Lyons added.
READ: US ICE airport arrests spark protests amid immigration crackdown (April 7, 2026)
Optional Practical Training, or OPT, is a program allowing international students in the United States with an F-1 visa to work in jobs directly related to their major area of study for up to 12 months. “When the OPT was created under the Bush administration and expanded under the Obama administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) anticipated only a few thousand foreign students would receive training approval before returning home,” Lyons said.
He said that the investigators reportedly found vacant offices and locked buildings at locations where hundreds of foreign students were said to be employed. In several cases, multiple companies participating in the OPT listed the same addresses as their business locations, despite having no active lease financial irregularities, including alleged contract violations and suspicious international cash transfers.
Federal officials said the investigation uncovered widespread misuse of student visa employment system, with some companies allegedly created solely to provide fraudulent work authorization documents for foreign students. Authorities claimed that thousands of students may have used these arrangements to remain employed in the United States while not performing legitimate work connected to their academic programs.
READ: ‘Great idea’: Trump backs ‘NICE’ rebrand for ICE debate (April 27, 2026)
The revelations have intensified debate around immigration enforcement and oversight of international student programs in the U.S. Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, also took to X to pitch in, saying “OPT= another immigration scam,” agreeing with Lyons. Supporters of stricter immigration controls argued the findings demonstrate weaknesses in visa monitoring systems, while critics warned against broadly portraying international students as contributors to fraud, noting that many rely on OPT opportunities for legal work experience after graduation.
The investigation highlights growing scrutiny of employment-based immigration programs as federal agencies increase efforts to identify abuse within the visa system. As officials continue reviewing companies and student record tied to the case, the findings are likely to fuel broader discussions over immigration policy, workforce programs and the role of international students in the American economy.