INS Investigating Student Monk’s Immigration Status

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service is investigating the immigration status of the confessed murderer of a nun at Holy Cross Academy and whether the school has complied with federal requirements in bringing foreign students to the United States, federal law enforcement sources said Thursday.

Mykhaylo Kofel, a Ukrainian monastic student at the academy, has been charged with the stabbing murder of Sister Michelle Lewis at the school on March 25.

Rodney Germain, an INS spokesman in Miami, said it was ”standard procedure” to investigate whether foreign students in trouble are legally in the country and whether the sponsoring school is complying with the law.

Miami-Dade police contacted INS about the case, said Ed Munn, a police spokesman.

”Since he is a foreign national and felony charges are involved, it would be normal course of business to notify INS,” Munn said.

According to INS regulations, people coming to the United States to pursue full-time academic or vocational studies are admitted under two nonimmigrant visa categories: F-1 and M-1.

F-1 includes students in seminaries, colleges, universities, conservatories, academic high schools and other academic institutions. M-1 covers vocational students.

Germain would not say what type of visa Kofel had. Before arriving in the United States, foreign students interested in pursuing studies here generally must obtain visa endorsements from an INS-approved school, according to INS regulations.

Germain would not say if Holy Cross is on the list of INS-approved schools. But an INS official familiar with the case said the agency ”does not have any reason to suspect that the school does not meet the INS requirements.”

”Holy Cross Academy is on the list of INS approved schools,” said Charles Jones, account executive with Wragg & Casas Public Relations, the firm representing Holy Cross Academy. Upon accepting a student, an INS-approved school typically gives the student INS form I-20, which is a certificate of eligibility for the F-1 visa, INS regulations say. The student then takes the I-20 to the nearest U.S. Consulate to obtain a visa.