The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the collective disappearance of Chinese students at Thomas College in Maine. These students had registered to study at the college but did not show up on campus.
Thomas College is a private institution of higher education located in Waterville, Maine. The local media outlet Maine Wire was the first to report on this incident.
On Friday, April 25, Edward R. Martin, Jr., a prosecutor from the District of Columbia, sent a letter to Thomas College President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi and Board Chair Kelley Shimansky, requesting relevant information.
In the letter, Martin mentioned that he had received a tip alleging that a group of Chinese students had entered the U.S. on student visas with plans to enroll at Thomas College for the 2024-2025 academic year, but they had since gone missing and are believed to still be in the country.
Martin requested the college to provide information on the whereabouts of these students and whether they had complied with the regulations of federal student visa laws.
“A whistleblower informed me that the number of Chinese citizens enrolled at your institution for this academic year has drastically declined,” Martin wrote. “As a prosecutor in the District of Columbia, I have received information and requests for clarification. I take these requests seriously and will take action.”
“As of today, I have not been able to confirm this trend, but one question is whether these Chinese citizens possibly associated with the Chinese Communist Party have violated federal laws related to student visas and residence rights,” he added.
Martin’s inquiry specifically asked Thomas College to provide the number of Chinese students enrolled this year, how many have attended classes on time, whether the college has reported any instances of absenteeism, and if the college is confident that state law enforcement agencies are adequately protecting Maine residents.
Martin has requested Thomas College to respond by May 15, 2025, and has proposed a meeting with the college president and board chair to further discuss the matter.
According to Maine Wire, citing a source familiar with federal law enforcement, Martin’s letter to Thomas College is part of a larger investigation into the disappearance of Chinese citizens who entered legally with student visas but subsequently went missing inland in the U.S.
Another source told Maine Wire that someone witnessed one of the Chinese students running away when the bus driver from Thomas College was picking them up at the airport.
Thomas College has not responded to Maine Wire’s inquiries regarding the disappearance of Chinese students in Maine.