The wave of arrests of young Israelis in the United States has been renewed, as 21 Israelis were detained by U.S. Immigration Police in Iowa and South Dakota on charges of illegal peddling, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
Some of those arrested held work permits issued by the U.S. embassy in Israel. American immigration officials say, however, that the permits have expired and that the sellers were not allowed to work in the places where they were arrested.
Some of the Israelis were released on bail, while others will remain in custody. It is believed that all of them will be expelled from the United States.
Waves of arrests of Israelis in America is common during the run up to the Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday periods.
Eli Levi of the Israeli Consulate in Chicago told the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem of the arrests and warned Israelis not to be tempted to arrive in the United States in order to make fast and easy money.