American authorities have sent back to Hyderabad 18 more students from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh last week. The students, who had gone to the US to join various universities, were sent back from New York airport after cancelling their visas. They complained of interrogation and ill-treatment by the officials of US Customs and Border Protection at John F. Kennedy International Airport, though all their documents were valid.
The students said they were detained for several hours without drinking water and food. They said the officials threatened to bar their entry into US for five years, if they fail to withdraw and return home.
The students claimed that no reason was given for not sending them back, though they gave satisfactory reply to all the questions asked and despite possessing all valid documents. "One officer said he was doing this on the boss' order," said a student. Another student who had gone to join Northwestern Polytechnic University, California said the officers told him that there is a problem with his visa. "They asked me if I bought the visa," he said.
The student was told that if he wanted he could apply again for admission into another university and come back. Students, who had taken admissions in other universities, were also sent back. The officials were not convinced when students pointed out that the institutions were not blacklisted by the US authorities. This is the latest in a series of incidents in recent months in which students from the two Telugu states were sent back either after landing in the US or from destinations enroute like Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
About 90 students, who had left after completing all formalities including admission letters from the universities, were sent back during last three to four months. As many as 14 students, who had taken admission at two California universities, were sent back from San Francisco on December 19. The next day Air India stopped another batch of 15 students from boarding the San Francisco flight at Hyderabad airport.
"According to the US government, the deported persons had presented information to the border patrol agent which was inconsistent with their visa status," it added. Earlier this month, 14 Indian students who had gone to join the Silicon Valley University at San Jose and Northwestern Polytechnic University at Fremont were deported by the US authorities.
