After spending a couple years as a graduate teaching assistant, and dealing with some of these people, such a story doesn't surprise me in the least.
It's generally only those from wealthy families that can afford to come to the US to get an education, as tourists, or a combination of both.
Some of them just seem to have no clue about how "normal" people live.
I'm not saying that there are generally arrogant, rude, or genuinely inconsiderate, just clueless. Some are also rude and arrogant, but not many.
However I completely agree that the judge took the appropriate action. Boarding the bus was good reason to be suspicious of them. On top of that they didn't have any identification with them, and they lied about their country of origin to the police when first questioned.
They need to be held until a through background check is done. If there is anything questionable that comes up, or they feel they cannot get enough information for a reliable background check, I would think that lying to police about where they are from is good enough justification for deporting them.
Or giving them Social Security benefits. /sarcasm
"They need to be held until a through background check is done"
Actually, they need to be put on the next plane out. And somebody better go and disinfect the University of Southern Florida, home to Sami Al Ahrian (I'm quite sure I spelled his name wrong), and seemingly a hot bed of terrorists and wannabes.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to trace their telephone calls over the last moth or so to see whom they have been calling and who has called them. If only there were such a database that the government could freely search ...
I'm saying that they are generally arrogant, rude, and genuinely inconsiderate.
At least those I met in Houston in the eighties.