NEW YORK: Six Indian nationals are among over 300 people arrested by American authorities for criminal activities and violating the country's immigration laws during a month-long crackdown across six states.
Federal officers with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 364 criminal aliens and immigration violators during a 30-day enforcement action across Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin.
Those arrested during this operation came from 25 countries, including six from India.
Other nationalities included Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and and Ukraine.
Of the 364 arrested, 187 had criminal convictions, 16 were women and 346 men and 236 were from Mexico.
From the Chicago area, ICE arrested a 25-year-old man from India in Champaign, Illinois.
He was convicted of criminal sexual abuse on July 30 and remains in ICE custody pending his removal.
More than half of the aliens arrested by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for crimes such as assault, attempted murder, burglary, child neglect, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, drug trafficking and illegal re-entry after deportation.
"This operation targeted criminal aliens, public safety threats, and individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ICE ERO Chicago.