Congress flags American visa revocation of Indian students, asks will EAM take it up with US
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday expressed concern over the American Immigration Lawyers Association's claim that out of the 327 visa revocation cases of international students collected by it so far, 50% are Indians, and asked whether External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will take up the issue with his US counterpart.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared on X a press statement issued on Thursday by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and said it is "cause for concern to us in India".
"Out of the 327 visa revocation cases of international students collected by the organisation so far, 50% are Indians. The reasons for revocation are random and unclear. There is growing fear and apprehension," Ramesh said.
"Will the External Affairs Minister take note and raise the concern with his US counterpart? Ramesh said and tagged Jaishankar.
"The Department of State (DOS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are aggressively targeting international students, including those without a history of protest, for visa revocation, termination of their status, and removal," the American Immigration Lawyers Association statement said.
AILA collected 327 reports of visa revocations and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) terminations from attorneys, students, and university employees, it said.
"Of these reports - 50 percent of these students were from India, followed by 14 percent from China. Other significant countries represented in this data include South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh," the statement said.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
