The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, a vital post-study work pathway for thousands of international students in the US, is once again in the crosshairs of the US immigration debate, after federal officials alleged widespread fraud and abuse within the system.US immigration officials claim to have identified more than 10,000 students linked to “highly suspicious employers” across the country. In a sharply worded briefing, Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), described the OPT program as a “magnet for fraud” and warned of criminal, civil and immigration consequences for those who abuse the system.“Today we are announcing that we have identified over 10,000 foreign students who claim to work for highly dubious employers. And that’s one of the top 25 OPT employers,” Lyons said at the briefing.Immigration lawyers and education experts have long warned that fraudulent counseling and fake staffing arrangements exist within the OPT ecosystem, but the overwhelming majority of international students use the program legitimately to gain work experience after graduating from accredited US institutions.The latest action is expected to boost long-standing political efforts by conservative groups to scale back or eliminate the program altogether. The idea of cutting the OPT program was first raised in the administration’s spring 2020 agenda, during Trump’s first presidency. More recently, last April, Congressman Paul Gosar introduced a bill in the House to eliminate the OPT program on the grounds that “it grossly undervalues American workers, particularly high-skilled workers and recent college graduates, by giving employers a tax incentive to hire cheap, foreign workers under the guise of student training.”“Against the backdrop of this briefing, VP JD Vance posted on X: Another big win for our fraud task force. We will not tolerate foreign nationals abusing our visa system at the expense of the American people.The OPT allows international students on the F-1 visa to work in the United States for up to one year after graduation. Students in STEM fields can obtain an additional extension of 24 months after the initial 12 months of OPT. The extended period of OPT for STEM students is particularly viewed by Trump fanatics as a program that takes jobs away from locals,According to the latest Open Doors report for 2024-25, 3.6 lakh Indian students were studying in the US. About 1.4 lakh people were participating in the OPT program (of which a significant number were in STEM-OPT).International students (including innocent student victims) have been convicted of fraud as part of US agencies’ ‘secret’ OPT scandal findings – secret because the names of tainted employers are not made public.Under a revised policy, which TOI reported on last March, notices can be issued to students who have taken or are taking OPT with blacklisted companies in the past. This can result in arrest, detention, and deportation even years later (say: while a former student is gainfully employed with an H-1B visa). The recent briefing on OPT scams has raised concerns among international students, especially Indian students, who are the largest group.According to ICE officials, investigators found alleged employers operating out of vacant offices, closed buildings, shared addresses and even residential homes, allegedly employing hundreds of foreign students. Officials also claimed that some companies lacked proper employment records and there were indications of financial irregularities.The agency further alleged that some companies have enlisted offshore HR and payroll teams based in India and that in some cases, students claiming to work for US companies are actually being “trained” by companies operating from India.ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit said it had visited sites in states including Texas, Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey and New York. In one case cited during the briefing, officials claimed that a company reported employing only three OPT employees, while government records showed more than 500 students listed as its employers.US authorities also alleged shell-company networks and the existence of “phantom employees” – students who received work authorization documents but allegedly never showed up at declared workplaces.