Slotkin’s top priority

Instead of protecting our border, Elissa Slotkin says her “top priority” is helping folks who knowingly attempted to defraud our immigration system.

Michiganders must be wondering: Does Elissa Slotkin care more about India or protecting the Homeland and keeping Michigan safe?

In case you missed it…

US Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin assures help to Indian students detained in fraud university case
Times of India
Sushil Rao
2/13/2019
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/us-congresswoman-elissa-slotkin-assures-help-to-indian-students-detained-in-fraud-university-case/articleshow/67977806.cms

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, who represents the 8th district, Michigan in a letter to the Indian community said top priority would be given to secure release of Indian students who were detained for their enrolment in the fraudulent University of Michigan.

Representatives Elissa Slotkin wrote the letter following a delegation of the American Telangana Association meeting with her on the issue.

“We remain concerned for the students’ safety and welfare, and our top priority is their release. For these young people to be imprisoned in a foreign country, far from home and family, due to a case of potential entrapment is, of course, deeply distressing for them and for their families,” she said.

Elissa Slotkin said the students in Michigan had a court date on February 12 and the immediate concern was for adequate legal representation for them.

She said she spoke to the Indian ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla a day before to alert him about the situation. She  said she asked him to work with the consulate general in Chicago to help secure legal representation for the students for their hearing. She said consul general Neeta Bhushan had confirmed that she would secure the representation.

“I will follow up with a letter to the department of homeland security as appropriate,” she said. Elissa Slotkin said more than 100 students were currently being detained in 30 centres across the US by the Immigration and customs enforcement, including 20 students from Michigan.

“It is our understanding that these students were not aware that the university in which they had enrolled was fraudulent and their only mistake was to misunderstand a foreign work student programme in their pursuit of higher education and career ambition. Indeed, they are not being criminally charged,” she said.

The American Relugu Association pointed out to her that almost all students were opting for voluntary departure and are hoping that they would not be barred from re-entry to the US. In a letter to Elissa Slotkin, ATA President Satanarayana Reddy requested that the students should get decent facilities in the detention centres and see that they get necessary help by law so that they can leave the country as their friends and family members were worried.