Following the deportation of 14 Indian students soon after their arrival in San Francisco last week, two California-based universities that admitted the students have denied that the US Government has “blacklisted” the institutions.
The two institutions — Silicon Valley University in San Jose and Northwestern Polytechnic University in Fremont — have asserted that they are in trouble, suggesting that the plight of Indian students may be due to the intensified screening by US authorities in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.
Both have posted alerts on their websites, asking students to ensure that they carry all the original documentation before heading to San Francisco.
A representative with US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has been quoted by Costa Contra Times as saying that the agency could not comment on the matter, but noting that both schools are on the list of institutions approved for the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme.
The Northwestern Polytechnic University put out a statement, dismissing as “absolutely and completely false” reports in certain media outlets that the university has been blacklisted by the US Government.
Stating that its officials have spoken with a US Customs and Border Protection representative, the NPU said: “It’s the representative’s understanding that no US Government agency has “blacklisted” NPU and that there is no general order for US Customs officers to refuse entry into the US by NPU students.”
Referring to the reports that “students are specifically experiencing difficulties with Air India”, the university said it is reaching out to Air India corporate officials and US Embassy personnel “to resolve this misunderstanding as soon as possible”.
At the same time, the NPU statement suggested that students travelling by Air India put off their trip till the matter is cleared up. “If you plan to travel by Air India, we suggest that, if possible, you postpone your trip while university officials clear up this issue with Air India,” it said.
The Silicon Valley University, in a similar statement, said: “These rumours (about blacklisting) are absolutely false. SVU is valid educational institution. Students at SVU are not being targeted and safe to study in the US.”
SVU president Jerry Shiao told the Costa Contra Times that the episode has “nothing to do with the school”. Associate dean Simon Au has been quoted as saying that while some students cleared immigration in San Francisco, others did not.
“The ones that got turned back faltered in answering questions,” claimed Au, adding: “I’ve been on email since the weekend letting them know they are safe to re-enter.”