Hyderabad’s United States consulate is attempting to find a solution to the issue of multiple Indian students being deported by American immigration authorities. The students were headed to two universities in California. Consular general Michael Mullins claimed yesterday that the consulate is working to resolve the issue and that the institutions have not been blacklisted.
Mullins’ statement was the first time the controversy has been addressed by a US official after the deportation of around 200 students from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the course of the last few weeks. This resulted in the issue being taken up with the United States by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
“This is a very serious issue and our embassy in Delhi is in touch with the MEA to resolve it,” said Mullins, who met with the IT minister of Telangana, KT Rama Rao, to discuss the issue. “I am also meeting the Telangana CMO officials. Please do not think we are indifferent to the students’ concerns.”
Almost all the students who were going to Silicon Valley University and Northwestern Polytechnic were stopped by US immigration officials; however, this was not because the two universities have been blacklisted, according to Mullins. “The two universities are not blacklisted, but in any case the visa we issue can take you till the port of entry. Thereafter it is up to the immigration officers to allow you entry,” he explained.