<p>While I am a bit uneasy about two kids being jailed for days simply because they were buddies of the bombing suspect while at UMass, again I have to wonder if it is too easy for international students with middling academic achievement to get visas to study in the U.S.? One the UMass kids from Khazakhstan has flunked out.</p>
<p>destruction of evidence and lying to authorities for a friend who caused massive destruction and death is exactly just being buddies</p>
<p>I believe that the immigration violations were a pretext to hold the “kids” while the police searched the landfill, looking for the evidence they’d thrown there. The police would have interviewed Tsarnaev’s roommate over a week ago, and learned that these “kids” had removed evidence.</p>
<p>More information has come out since my initial post. These so-called buddies had greater involvement than they’ve thus far admitted to, or they are quite stupid. In any event, they’ve admitted to disposing of evidence.</p>
<p>Agree with OP that someone should be deporting these kids who come over on student visas and flunk out!</p>
<p>How were these students funded? This is a state school which certainly doesn’t meet full need to begin with. I think missing two weeks of a class without presenting yourself to a dean sounds about right for pulling a student visa. Surely there are more serious academic students who would love to take their place.</p>
<p>I read that these students were from families of means. They have private lawyers. I’m sure the tuition was no problem for them.</p>
<p>I agree that there should be better tracking of students who are here on visas.</p>
<p>How were they funded? Kazakhstan has a government-funded program that pays 100% of tuition and room and board for kids who get admission to US colleges as international students on one condition - they have to return to their home country upon graduation. Looks like these were not funded students. There is a lot of wealth in Kazakhstan - the country is flush with oil money. Do you know that Saks opened a store in Almaty last year (1 of 45 Saks stores in the world).</p>
<p>Interesting, I had no idea. No doubt the colleges love having these full pay kids. There’s really no incentive to turn them over to INS for not going to class is there?</p>
<p>The critical thing about their actions is that if, instead of hiding evidence, they had contacted the police or FBI when they recognized the photos Thursday night, the policeman who was killed may have been spared. They are despicable, and I hope thy get the maximum sentence before, in the case of the Kazakhs, being booted out of the country and placed on the no-fly list for eternity.</p>
<p>^^^^^^that</p>
<p>Kazakhstan government-funded study abroad program:</p>
<p>[CNN</a> Video - Paying to avoid the ‘brain drain’](<a href=“Video News - CNN”>Video News - CNN)</p>
<p>These kids were definitely not “brains”. They were either idiots or criminals, but most likely, both.</p>
<p>I don’t know the specifics of this case, but there are pretty strict regulations requiring faculty to take attendance for those here on student visas. They also have to be registered in a certain number of courses. Last time I looked at them, it was 12 credit hours. So, if UMass-D followed the rules–and I suspect it did–then it’s Homeland Security, not the school which dropped the ball in failing to deport the kid when he stopped attending classes.</p>
<p>However, there are some profs who mark everyone present because they object to the regulations. </p>
<p>Since the kid had flunked out though, it’s probably the government which is at fault here.</p>
<p>^^That’s what one of the news articles said, he should have never been allowed to re-enter the US in January - apparently, the school reported him.</p>
<p>Bunsen, re post No. 8;</p>
<p>I’m at a loss to comprehend why a full pay family from abroad would choose a relatively little known college like UMass Dartmouth. No knock to UMD…I’ve been on that campus and I know it definitely has strengths, like the Marine Biology department. But unless the Kahzhaks were studying sharks and whales, I don’t see the attraction. Is this another case of a wealthy family and a none too bright (or none too motivated) international student? In Seattle a few months ago a wealthy community college student from China sped his new Mercedes through a residential neighborhood, crashing into another car and killing a young driver. Don’t colleges give these international kids a primer on obeying U.S. laws?</p>
<p>LW, I do not really know why they would choose this particular UMass campus. Maybe that particular U is trying to admit as many full paying foreigners to fill the gap in their funding, like our UW does?</p>
<p>I do not think international students get any primers on the US laws… everyone just assumes they know them.</p>
<p>
Probably didnt understand UM Dartmouth was not the same school as the Ivy League Dartmouth.</p>
<p>My daughter graduated from a small Liberal Arts college that have many students from the same city and country attend each year. I believe someone in their home school had a connect at the college so many of the students applied each year. Maybe this is the case of UM and the students from Kazakhstan.</p>
<p>I think just about all schools get some international students. I think it’s an oft-believed myth that it’s the “best” students, and they’re all going to Ivies. I teach at two decidedly un-name colleges, and they each have cohorts of international students.</p>