US frees four more Indian students from clutch

Washington, Feb 25: The US Immigration and Custom Enforcement On Friday, Feb 25 freed four more Indian students from radio tags. So far radio tags of 11 of the 18 Indian students have been removed.

These students were radio tagged in California after Tri Valley University was shut down in Jan on charges of massive visa fraud.

Susmita Gongulee Thomas, the Consul General, Indian Consulate San Francisco, hoped that the total number of Indian students which radio tags have been moved could touch 15 later today.

All these 15 students had sought the help of the Indian Consulate for legal help; while the fate of the three others is not known as they preferred to go through their own independent lawyers.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco worked with the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) in this regard.

"We have now asked ICE to take off the Notice to Appear (NTA), because as long as these notices are out deportation proceedings can be held against you," she said, adding that the next step for them would be the NTA to be removed which ICE said is a procedural matter, but will due soon.

"ICE has committed that they would no longer be issuing NTAs. They are not sending people to the houses of the students. They are taking to them on phone," Thomas said.

PTI