On November 12, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Sumith Gunasekera at his home in Detroit. He claimed to be an associate professor at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.
He’s actually a criminal illegal alien with a documented history of sexual crimes against minors.
His criminal record spans nearly three decades and crosses international borders. And he was given access to college students.
Who Is Sumith Gunasekera?
Gunasekera is a Sri Lankan national who entered the United States on a student visa in February 1998. But before that visa was approved, he had already committed serious crimes in Canada.
1998—Canada (Brampton, Ontario):
On August 28, 1998, Peel Regional Police arrested him for uttering death threats.
Three days later, on August 31, 1998, he was arrested again for invitation to sexual touching and sexual interference with a minor. He admitted the charges involved a child.
On November 12, 1998, a criminal court in Brampton convicted him of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm and sexual interference with a minor. He received 1 month in jail and 1 year probation.
2003—Las Vegas:
On September 25, 2003, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested him for open and gross lewdness.
On January 16, 2004, Las Vegas Justice Court convicted him of disorderly conduct and sentenced him to fines.
That’s a pattern: sexual crimes against minors in Canada, indecent exposure in Las Vegas, and convictions in both jurisdictions.
How Did He Stay in the Country?
This is the question that should infuriate anyone reading this. A man convicted of sexual interference with a minor in 1998 remained in the United States for 27 years and worked as a college professor.
Here’s how:
1998: Gunasekera entered the U.S. in February on a student visa, then went to Canada where he committed the crimes and was convicted.
Later 1998: He returned to the U.S. on the same student visa.
2003: He was arrested in Las Vegas for lewdness and later convicted.
2012: When applying for a change of immigration status with USCIS, it was discovered he had Canadian convictions that made him ineligible for legal status in the United States.
2012-2025: He repeatedly attempted to manipulate the immigration system through applications, denials, and appeals. He kept trying. The system kept rejecting him. And somehow, he stayed.
Until November 2025: ICE finally arrested him.
That’s 27 years of a convicted sex offender remaining in the U.S. despite being ineligible for legal status.
The College Professor Position
Gunasekera claimed to be an associate professor at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. This is what DHS is emphasizing: a convicted sex offender had direct access to college students.
“It’s sickening that a sex offender was working as a professor on an American college campus and was given access to vulnerable students to potentially victimize them,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Whether Ferris State knew about his criminal history is unclear from this statement. But the fact is: a man convicted of sexual crimes against minors was in a position of authority over students.
The System Failure
This case exposes a significant system failure:
A man convicted of sexual interference with a minor in Canada in 1998 was able to:
- Remain in the United States
- Secure legitimate employment at a university
- Evade deportation for 27 years
- Repeatedly apply for status changes despite documented ineligibility
How does this happen?
Possible explanations:
The initial 1998 conviction in Canada might not have been properly flagged in U.S. immigration databases. Canada and the U.S. share criminal information, but delays or incomplete information transfer could have allowed him to slip through.
His applications and appeals process might have created enough procedural delays that deportation was continuously postponed.
He might have maintained legal status through some technical pathway that wasn’t properly reviewed against his criminal history.
The immigration system might simply have lost track of him among the millions of cases.
Any of these failures is unacceptable for someone convicted of sexual crimes.
The Timeline Problem
Here’s the critical failure: in 2012, when USCIS reviewed his status change application, they discovered the Canadian convictions that made him ineligible.
That’s 14 years after the conviction. 2012 to 2025 is another 13 years.
From 2012 until his arrest in November 2025, ICE knew he was ineligible. Yet he remained in the country, employed at a university, with access to students.
The Texas Angle
While this arrest happened in Michigan, it demonstrates why immigration enforcement matters in Texas. If someone convicted of sexual crimes against minors can remain in the country for 27 years, that risk exists everywhere.
Texas has significant undocumented populations and immigration enforcement challenges. Cases like this show that screening for serious criminals must be constant and thorough.
What Happens Next
Gunasekera remains in ICE custody pending further immigration proceedings. He will likely face deportation proceedings.
Given his criminal record and ineligibility for any legal status, deportation is virtually certain—unless he fights it through appeals.
But the question remains: how was he never deported in the first place?
The Political Message
DHS is using this case to argue that immigration enforcement must be aggressive and that the Trump administration is committed to removing serious criminals.
“Thanks to the brave ICE law enforcement officers, this sicko is behind bars and no longer able to prey on Americans. His days of exploiting the immigration system are OVER. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminals are not welcome in the U.S.,” said Assistant Secretary McLaughlin.
This is both a law enforcement statement and a political statement. Both can be true—the arrest is real, and DHS is highlighting it to justify enforcement priorities.
The Bigger Question
Cases like this raise a fundamental question: how many other convicted sex offenders, violent criminals, and serious felons are currently in the U.S. illegally and have evaded detection?
If someone convicted in Canada in 1998 remained undeported for 27 years, how many others are in similar situations?
This case justifies comprehensive immigration enforcement focused on criminal backgrounds.
The Vulnerability
What’s most disturbing is that Gunasekera had access to college students. If Ferris State University did not know about his criminal history, that’s a system failure.
If they did know and employed him anyway, that’s potentially criminal negligence.
The statement doesn’t clarify whether the university was aware of his past. But either way, a sex offender convicted of crimes against minors was in a position of power over young people.
The Bottom Line
Sumith Gunasekera is a Sri Lankan national convicted of sexual interference with a minor in Canada in 1998. He illegally remained in the United States for 27 years. He worked as a college professor with access to students. ICE finally arrested him in November 2025.
This case demonstrates both a significant law enforcement success (the arrest) and a significant system failure (27 years of evasion despite documented ineligibility and known convictions).
For anyone concerned about campus safety, immigration enforcement, or sexual predator accountability, this case is deeply troubling.
A convicted sex offender should never have been able to work as a professor. The fact that he did for years shows that screening, background checks, and immigration enforcement require constant vigilance.
