Concerned authorities in the US are on a spree to stem illegal immigration in the country. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, say news agency reports, has arrested eight persons (Indian nationals or Indian Americans) because they "illegally facilitated hundreds of immigrants to remain in the US as students".

All the arrested are youngsters, most of them in their late 20s or early 30. Barath Kakireddy, Suresh Kandala, Phanideep Karnati, Prem Rampeesa, Santosh Sama, Avinash Thakkallapally, Aswanth Nune, and Naveen Prathipati have been arrested. Six of these arrests were made in Detroit. They are said to be from the Telugu States.

More than 100 students have been detained as part of this mega operation.

The arrested individuals are suspected to have helped 100s of foreigners to remain in the US without proper documents or through fake ones. They were shown as students on records.

They carried out the fraud in "exchange for cash, kickbacks and tuition credits with a university."