On May 12, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) held a press conference announcing what its leadership described as a coordinated, nationwide crackdown on fraud within the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for F-1 students. The substance of the announcement, and the rhetoric that accompanied it, should be of immediate interest to every employer that engages F-1 international students through OPT or the STEM OPT extension. ICE has signaled that further enforcement actions are forthcoming, and the bar for documented, defensible compliance has just risen.
The Substance of the May 12 Announcement
ICE leadership opened the press conference by framing OPT as a magnet for fraud and identifying the program as a focal point for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Officials stated that HSI has identified more than 10,000 foreign students claiming employment with…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.