APNewsBreak: US Releases Haitians Coming From Mexico
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, ASTRID GALVAN AND ELLIOT SPAGAT, ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN DIEGO — Nov 17, 2016, 5:52 PM ET
A surge in border crossings and a lack of immigration jail space have prompted the federal government to start releasing Haitian immigrants who have been entering the country in large numbers in recent months, backtracking on a pledge to jail the migrants.
A U.S. government official told The Associated Press that the decision to free Haitians arriving in Arizona and California is in response to a lack of jail space. The official said releasing immigrants with orders to report later to immigration court is a tactic used when detention space is scarce, under certain humanitarian conditions or as part of efforts to keep families together.
Before the Haitians are released, they are subjected to a criminal background and national security check. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on speaking on condition of anonymity.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/u...order-43616711
