Illegal Migrant Sex Offender Employed as College Professor Prior to ICE Arrest

Immigration Authorities Arrest University Professor with Criminal History

On November 12, immigration officials apprehended an undocumented immigrant who has a history of sex offenses and works as a professor at a prominent U.S. university.

Sumit Gunasekera, a national from Sri Lanka, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Detroit, Michigan. Gunasekera, who faced prior criminal charges in both Canada and the U.S., held a position as a professor of data science and analytics at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, expressed her disapproval regarding the situation in a statement, stating, “It is appalling that sex offenders are allowed to teach on American college campuses, putting vulnerable students at risk.” She went on to commend ICE officers for their actions, highlighting that Gunasekera is now unable to harm others.

A spokesperson for Ferris State University did not respond immediately to inquiries about the arrest.

Gunasekera was initially arrested by local police in Ontario, Canada, in 1998 on accusations of making death threats. Following that, he faced additional charges related to sexual offenses involving minors. He later pleaded guilty to some of these charges, resulting in a suspended one-month prison sentence.

Furthermore, records indicate that he was also arrested in September 2003 in Las Vegas for gross indecent exposure, leading to a conviction for disorderly conduct the following January.

As per ICE, Gunasekera entered the United States in February 1998, traveled to Canada, and returned on a student visa later that year. In 2012, he sought to adjust his status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, but officials discovered his criminal past, making him ineligible for legal residency.

ICE noted that Gunasekera consistently tried to exploit the immigration process amidst various applications and appeals, despite his criminal convictions. He remains in custody as his immigration case proceeds.

This incident isn’t isolated; there have been other cases of undocumented immigrants in the education sector with problematic backgrounds. For example, in September, Ian Andre Roberts, a Guyanese national without legal status, was arrested while earning a six-figure salary as the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. Authorities found him with a loaded gun and cash, and the school later pointed fingers at a consulting firm for hiring him.