‘Don’t take up part-time jobs’: Fresh warning on social media amid reports of ICE detaining two Indians from a Minnesota restaurant

Amid the ongoing ICE crackdown in Minnesota, primarily targeting Somali migrants, a video of two students being detained by the ICE went viral, claiming that they are Indian students. Several NRI groups circulated the video with a warning message asking Indian students to stay away from part-time restaurant jobs, as the visa does not permit this and they can be arrested for breaking the law. Going by the viral claim, the incident took place at an Indian restaurant at St. Louis Park, Minnesota. There has been no official confirmation about the raid at an Indian restaurant or the arrest of two Indian students working there, but the ICE crackdown is going on in St Louis Park. ICE agents are storming establishments in the area, including day cares, elementary schools, as photos and videos of their confrontation with the locals, who allege that their daily life is being disrupted because of the heavy presence of the ICE agents, go viral. Democrats have condemned the intense trauma and terror caused by the enforcement surge in Minnesota.Minnesota has been targeted because of the alleged welfare fraud linked to Somali migrants. But the ICE agents are raiding any establishment, picking up anyone obstructing their work, and questioning people about their citizenship. The crackdown goes on even after the shooting of Minneapolis woman Renee Good, a US citizen, triggered a major controversy and the ICE agent Jonathan Ross is still in hiding because of public outrage. The administration defended Ross and said he fired at the woman because the woman was coming at him with her car.

Working at restaurants on student visa

As NRI channels are openly alerting students not to engage in part-time employment at restaurants, it came to the surface how Indian students are openly breaking visa rules as F-1 visa in the US does not allow students to work outside the campus. They are allowed on-campus jobs only up to 20 hours per week during semesters. But many local Indian restaurants employ them without any legal basis with a cash-in-hand arrangement which is a serious violation of the visa status that may qualify for loss of F-1 status, visa cancellation and future visa problems in the US.