IOWA CITY (AP) — Immigration agents have arrested four men at two Chinese restaurants in eastern Iowa on charges of being in the country illegally.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Tim Counts says the men were arrested at restaurants in Vinton and Toledo. Both restaurants are called the Peony Chinese Restaurant.

Counts says three of the men are from Mexico and one is from China.

He declined to name those arrested or say what prompted the investigation.

Agents arrived at the restaurants about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and left about 2 p.m., Counts said. The arrested men were questioned in Cedar Rapids, then held in county jails to await administrative hearings.

Counts said the most severe penalty they face is deportation.