US visa fraud: Four ex-police chiefs plead guilty over fake U-Visas for foreigners

Summary

Five former US law enforcement officials, including four former police chiefs, have pleaded guilty to participating in a decade-long conspiracy that prosecutors say used fake armed robbery reports to fraudulently secure US visas for foreign nationals. The U-Visa programme was introduced in 2o00 to help US law enforcement investigate and prosecute crimes while protecting victims who cooperate with authorities. The U-Visa is available to eligible foreign nationals who have been victims of certain crimes and assist authorities in investigating or prosecuting those offences. Patel then worked with police officials to obtain false police reports, which were used to support fraudulent U-Visa applications. The investigation was carried out by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS (U.S. immigration agency)) Fraud Detection and National Security Division. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ...