May 06, 2016 06:09 AM EDT By Mariel Hemingway, UniversityHerald Reporter

The US government set up a fake NJ university in a sting operation to track and arrest illegal visa brokers. More than 20 people have been arrested for federal student visa program fraud. Students who were lured to enroll in the university are now facing deportation. However, not everyone in the fake NJ university enrolled through the illegal brokers.

The officials of Department of Homeland Security staged and elaborate plan to catch illegal visa brokers. The University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ) was designed to look authentic as possible, NJ.com reported. The fake school has its own website saying it was an accredited school and social media accounts including Facebook and Twitter.

The illegal brokers who were arrested reportedly helped foreign students obtain their visa in order to enroll in UNNJ, Consumerist noted. Some of the students who obtained the fraudulent visa services originally intended to come to the US to study college but were unable to qualify. The UNNJ students are reportedly facing deportation after immigration hearings.

The students who enrolled at UNNJ paid from at least $3,000 to more than $10,000 in order to get their visa, New York Times shared. Some UNNJ students explained that they didn't find it bizaare that they can enroll in the school but do not attend classes. However, the Department of Homeland Security do not believe them by saying that they knew the process was illegal and were willing participants.

One of the illegal brokers apparently gave promises to a foreign student that they could get work instead of going to school. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security also listed in their website that the UNNJ was a certified university which is why some students allegedly trusted the recruiters.

What do you think of the elaborate UNNJ university set up to arrest illegal visa brokers? Are all students to blame? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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