Home Local News WESTERN IOWA TECH DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF EXCHANGE STUDENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

WESTERN IOWA TECH DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF EXCHANGE STUDENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

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Western Iowa Tech Community College is denying allegations made by a Des Moines based political action group that human trafficking of some of the college’s international students is taking place

The group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement claims 57 students from Brazil and Chile are being exploited in school and on the job after being lured to Iowa under false pretenses by public and private recruiters.

Troy Jasman, Vice President of Western Iowa Tech, says the students came to the college last summer on what’s called a J-1 visa program through the U.S. State Department:

OC…………..get them some paid internships. ;26

Iowa C-C-I says eleven of the exchange students claim they were promised free tuition, housing, food, job training, and job placement in their field of study.

Jasman says the exchange students were told in detail what they were coming to Iowa to learn and experience:

OC………health insurance coverage. :24

Jasman says he did hear from the U.S. State Department that a few students were unhappy with the job portion of their experience:

OC…………some of the students. :28

Jasman says the college is trying to make sure that the students are receiving the education and experience they came here to get.

He says there were no formal complaints filed at the college by the students and was surprised by the release sent out to local media.

No local groups had apparently received any complaints from the students.

Linda Holub of the Siouxland Coalition Against Human Trafficking told KSCJ that she could not comment on the students because she was not aware of any issues involving them before Monday.