As part of an initiative to identify and deport foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes, 56 sex offenders who preyed on children in the New York region were arrested on Wednesday.

The suspects would be held in various detention facilities till the end of legal proceedings.

Officials said Operation Predator, launched in July, will keep sexual predators off the streets and better protect children. According to acting Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Michael Garcia and Undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson, immigration agents have so far arrested more than 1,300 sexual predators from around the country. All were foreign nationals, including Indians, convicted of sex crimes in the United States.

Agencies