U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the weekend arrests of two Indian nationals, Hemant Khann-Kumar and Rinkeshkumar Kaushikbhai Patel, following their convictions for serious criminal offenses in California and Tennessee. Khann-Kumar was convicted of an attempted lewd act upon a child in Contra Costa County, while Patel was found guilty of conspiracy to commit theft exceeding $60,000 in Bradley County.

Patel was originally sentenced to six years in prison, but ICE took custody of him after his sentence was suspended with less than one year served. The agency identified both men as illegal aliens and issued detainers to local law enforcement to ensure their transfer to federal authorities upon release from local jails.

The arrests were part of a broader weekend operation targeting non-citizens convicted of violent and financial crimes, including manslaughter, sexual battery, and drug trafficking. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated that the agency remains focused on removing criminal elements from local communities under the current administration's enforcement directives.

Both Khann-Kumar and Patel are being held in immigration detention. They will remain in federal custody as the government initiates formal removal proceedings to deport them to India.