Tri-Valley Students "treated like criminals"

[Virtual Bison]

Students told Indian consulate officials that they were searched, treated rudely and handcuffed before being taken into immigration offices for questioning, Thomas said.

Many have been forced to wear ankle bracelets to track their movements with radio frequency signals, and they must report to immigration officials regularly while they go through deportation proceedings, Gongulee Thomas said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31...16623.html

I found this article to be rather interesting, and somewhat disturbing on several different levels.

I am not sure if it is good that this school was an actual front for an illegal immigrant operation or was a genuine school offering degrees.

Maybe these students were duped into thinking they were getting a real education or maybe they knew what they were doing.

I will leave it up to you to decide.

Update: I did read one comment that this school was run by Chinese. They appearantly targetted Indian students.
Again, you be the judge.

[ham]

STOP THE MASSACRES! NOW!!

[Don Dresden]

I am not sure if it is good that this school was an actual front for an illegal immigrant operation or was a genuine school offering degrees.

It looks like Ms. Su's "crimes" were being Chinese, Christian, female and competing with the wealthy higher ed cartel.

Su, who was released on a $300,000 bond, is apparently fighting back while awaiting trial. Documents posted at the TVU site refute the federal charges and a website has been established to solicit donations to fight the federal case.

http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/sho...hp?id=8866

Tri Valley University blames Indian-origin staffer for immigration fraud

As radio-tagging of scores of Indian students duped by a "sham" US university continues to cause anger back home, the controversial institute has claimed that one of its Indian-origin staff was responsible for the immigration fraud and it was not directly involved in it. ...

"Starting in April, one of student assistants Anji Reddy, who worked in TVU administrative office, teamed with another student Ram Krista Karra, who also has a consultant company, conducting a large cheating scheme by asking students to make tuition payment into Ram Krista Karra's personal account in exchange for student I-20 and CPT approval. TVU has fired these two individuals," the e-mail said.

Help Save Tri-Valley University

In Fall 2010 term alone, TVU's 15 classrooms hosted 949 class meetings with 50 courses taught by 39 instructors and attended by 90% of the registerred TVU students. TVU students paid tuiton directly and only to take TVU's classes.

TVU has neither recevied a penny from the government for the Certificate to enroll international student (I-17), nor taken any penny from any TVU students for the Certificate of Eligibility of F1 Student Status (I-20). Plus both are "Certificate" and License related allergations which are out of statute limit.

The war actualy is very simple, yet seems difficult, however the truth shall prevail! All TVU's good students are welcomed to testify that our classes are true, and we are all true under GOD!

http://trivalleyuniversity.org/

[Ben Johnson]

As usual, nothing is mentioned about the academic quality of the school.

[Virtual Bison]

STOP THE MASSACRES! NOW!!

Where in the HELL did you get that picture?

It looks like Ms. Su's "crimes" were being Chinese, Christian, female and competing with the wealthy higher ed cartel.

Su, who was released on a $300,000 bond, is apparently fighting back while awaiting trial. Documents posted at the TVU site refute the federal charges and a website has been established to solicit donations to fight the federal case.

http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/sho...hp?id=8866

Tri Valley University blames Indian-origin staffer for immigration fraud

As radio-tagging of scores of Indian students duped by a "sham" US university continues to cause anger back home, the controversial institute has claimed that one of its Indian-origin staff was responsible for the immigration fraud and it was not directly involved in it. ...

"Starting in April, one of student assistants Anji Reddy, who worked in TVU administrative office, teamed with another student Ram Krista Karra, who also has a consultant company, conducting a large cheating scheme by asking students to make tuition payment into Ram Krista Karra's personal account in exchange for student I-20 and CPT approval. TVU has fired these two individuals," the e-mail said.

Help Save Tri-Valley University

In Fall 2010 term alone, TVU's 15 classrooms hosted 949 class meetings with 50 courses taught by 39 instructors and attended by 90% of the registerred TVU students. TVU students paid tuiton directly and only to take TVU's classes.

TVU has neither recevied a penny from the government for the Certificate to enroll international student (I-17), nor taken any penny from any TVU students for the Certificate of Eligibility of F1 Student Status (I-20). Plus both are "Certificate" and License related allergations which are out of statute limit.

The war actualy is very simple, yet seems difficult, however the truth shall prevail! All TVU's good students are welcomed to testify that our classes are true, and we are all true under GOD!

http://trivalleyuniversity.org/

May be some racist bigotry on the part of the accreditation cabal, eh?

Nothing new really.

I can say this much, the way the accredation Nazis work, you never know whats legitimate and what is not. Those bastards and their "RA or No Way" mantra are like the boy who cried wolf.

---

This brings up another point. Does anyone else notice how the victims of these stings on unaccredited colleges and universities tend to be people who have little power or influence? They are usually lower income people, people of color, immigrants and in this case Asians.

I think the people here were targetted since they are easy. Indians who come on student visas and have no friends on the inside. It all seems too easy to me.

[ham]

This brings up another point. Does anyone else notice how the victims of these stings on unaccredited colleges and universities tend to be people who have little power or influence? They are usually lower income people, people of color, immigrants and in this case Asians.

Hmm...do you think they'd handcuff and throw in jail the son of congressman Shlomo Schweinboimm studying abroad? Or to nephew of Subsaharan dictator Kongho Ugandah? That has to be Indian nobodies whose pockets had been emptied to fund their education, with a possible immigration scam as a thank-you.






sonst noch etwas?

[Virtual Bison]

Hmm...do you think they'd handcuff and throw in jail the son of congressman Shlomo Schweinboimm studying abroad? Or to nephew of Subsaharan dictator Kongho Ugandah? That has to be Indian nobodies whose pockets had been emptied to fund their education, with a possible immigration scam as a thank-you.

Of course not. Wealth, power and privilige can get you immunity to anything.

Most Indians in the US are from the higher castes btw. They tend to be Brahmans or Sikhs.

Indians are unique among immigrant groups in that they represent the higher, rather than lower socio-economic groups.

I recall one comment someone made about this on another board. He said that the people who were arrested here are from the lower castes and that is why they attracted suspicion. I do not know how he knew that since I did not see it anywhere in the article.

One interesting thing also, in India, the new economy has led to the growth of a number of call centers from US and British corporations located there. They hire people based on their command of the English language. Since they pay very well by Indian standards, there are very lucrative jobs. But unlike traditional employers, the foreign employers are more concerned with the skill level people have. And in these call centers, many people are hired from the lower castes. This has caused a revolution of a sort in indian society.

I happen to work with a lot of indians and hear a lot of stuff from them. They are cool people. I never met an Indian I did not like.

[ham]

Hmm...do you think they'd handcuff and throw in jail the son of congressman Shlomo Schweinboimm studying abroad? Or to nephew of Subsaharan dictator Kongho Ugandah? That has to be Indian nobodies whose pockets had been emptied to fund their education, with a possible immigration scam as a thank-you.

Of course not. Wealth, power and privilige can get you immunity to anything.

Most Indians in the US are from the higher castes btw. They tend to be Brahmans or Sikhs.

Indians are unique among immigrant groups in that they represent the higher, rather than lower socio-economic groups.

I recall one comment someone made about this on another board. He said that the people who were arrested here are from the lower castes and that is why they attracted suspicion. I do not know how he knew that since I did not see it anywhere in the article.

One interesting thing also, in India, the new economy has led to the growth of a number of call centers from US and British corporations located there. They hire people based on their command of the English language. Since they pay very well by Indian standards, there are very lucrative jobs. But unlike traditional employers, the foreign employers are more concerned with the skill level people have. And in these call centers, many people are hired from the lower castes. This has caused a revolution of a sort in indian society.

I happen to work with a lot of indians and hear a lot of stuff from them. They are cool people. I never met an Indian I did not like.

I don't know Sikhs but I sincerely doubt Brahmins make up a significant portion of the Indians abroad who -by the way- mostly sail on white guilt/feel good scholarships, subsidies and so forth for obvious reasons.
Real Brahmins are studying the scriptures or practicing religion, at best astrology or stuff related to the divine -such as ayurveda- and not chasing american dreams in Australia; or competing for a slot at the boiler room call center.
Much as a priestly Tibetan is likely to go about the Pali canon, not get-rich-quick, politically slanted white bollocks written by some Dov Fraudstein with the economy faculty.

[Virtual Bison]

I don't know Sikhs but I sincerely doubt Brahmins make up a significant portion of the Indians abroad who -by the way- mostly sail on white guilt/feel good scholarships, subsidies and so forth for obvious reasons.
Real Brahmins are studying the scriptures or practicing religion, at best astrology or stuff related to the divine -such as ayurveda- and not chasing american dreams in Australia; or competing for a slot at the boiler room call center.
Much as a priestly Tibetan is likely to go about the Pali canon, not get-rich-quick, politically slanted white bollocks written by some Dov Fraudstein with the economy faculty.

Well I should say that they are from the Braman Caste. Few Bramens these days follow their ancesteral profession as priests and holymen. I would say its similar to Jews with the name Cohen. Cohen is said to be a name of decendents of the Levites or priests. Now most people with the name Cohen are not Rabbis.

I am not really sure about white guilt since most of your higher caste hindus are really of Arayan origin. The Dravardians tend to be of the lower castes. I knew this woman who was Indian, and in her case a muslim. She hardly looked that different from your average European. Probibly looked more Greek or Italian.

I think in the UK there tends to be more of that guilt complex since the British owned India for many years. In the US, most people I know see Indians as people who take the higher paying jobs.

Incidently Sikhs are easy to recognize. They are the guys who have beards and wear turbins. Though many of the younger generations shave and dress in modern attire.

[Albert Hidel]

Founder of bogus East Bay college is guilty in 'visa mill' case
By Howard Mintz
Posted: 03/25/2014 06:14:56 AM PDT5

SAN FRANCISCO -- In a case that highlighted the growing problem of so-called "visa mills," a federal jury on Monday convicted the founder and president of Tri-Valley University of dozens of fraud charges related to a multimillion dollar scheme to illegally provide immigration status to foreign nationals.

After two days of deliberations, the jury convicted Susan Su of 31 counts, ranging from conspiracy to commit visa fraud to money laundering to alien harboring in connection with allegations she ran a scam school in Pleasanton from 2008 until her arrest in 2011.

U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar ordered Su into custody following the jury's verdict and set sentencing for June 20. Federal prosecutors have yet to recommend a sentence, but Su, 43, faces the possibility of many years in a federal prison.


The entrance of Tri-Valley University, 405 Boulder Court in Pleasanton, Calif., 2011. (Cindi Christie/Staff)

A federal grand jury indicted Su three years ago, alleging her university, which catered primarily to online students, was a bogus, unaccredited venture designed to rake in millions of dollars from foreigners who sought to obtain student visas so they could remain in the United States.

The Tri-Valley case prompted Sen. Dianne Feinstein and others to call for a crackdown on similar schools and a GAO report identified the school as the tip of the iceberg in a larger problem with visa fraud.

During the trial, federal prosecutors accused Su of simple greed, telling the jury she defrauded the students out of about $5.5 million in less than two years, using the money to buy commercial properties in Pleasanton that served as the university's offices as well as a mansion at Ruby Hill Golf Club and a Mercedes-Benz.

The indictment alleged Su falsified documents and lied to investigators and immigration officials about how students were affiliated with the school, which lacked instructors or appropriate course material. Federal investigators found more than 550 students enrolled at the Alameda County university were registered as living at the same address, a two-bedroom apartment in Sunnyvale.

Erik Babcock, Su's attorney, could not be reached for comment. But in remarks to the jury, he defended Su, saying the government was going after her to get her assets and that she operated the school "in good faith."

Another case raising similar allegations involving a different university in Silicon Valley is set to go to trial in July in San Jose federal court. Jerry Wang, the CEO of Herguan University, faces federal fraud charges in that trial, where prosecutors plan to accuse him of running a sham school to sponsor overseas students for the coveted visas.

Both the Tri-Valley and Herguan cases threw the immigration status of hundreds of students into doubt. Several former students testified for the government during Su's trial, including a former student, Vandana Satija of New Jersey, who told the jury Su threatened her with the prospect of deportation after she raised questions about the school and demanded a refund.