Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) announced on April 5, 2016, that the “University of Northern New Jersey” (“UNNJ”) had been a sting operation for the past two-and-a-half years. Run by Homeland Security Investigations Newark, UNNJ had a plausible website and an address in Cranford, New Jersey. Twenty-one persons, characterized as brokers, recruiters, and employers, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and alien harboring. Over 1,000 foreign students had been enrolled at UNNJ.
ICE’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (“SEVP”) announced that it was terminating the initial and active student records of nonimmigrant students enrolled at UNNJ. The records of approximately 60 former UNNJ students who have transferred to other schools also will be terminated. SEVP will notify students of their termination by letter. Terminated students may have the option of applying to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) for reinstatement. Students who decide not to apply for reinstatement, or whose reinstatement applications are denied, may be required to leave the United States immediately or seek other relief. Students can obtain additional information from the SEVP Response Center at 703-603-3400, which is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) from Monday to Friday, except holidays. The Center is closed from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday for system maintenance.