US releases more Caribbean immigrants than first announced

United States immigration authorities have acknowledged releasing more Caribbean and other immigrants in detention centers and jails around the country than previously made public.

Officials say that 2,228 illegal immigrants were released from detention in February and early March and not several hundred as previously announced. This was done in an effort to reduce spending in advance of mandatory US federal budget cuts.

A House of Representatives’ subcommittee has heard that four of those discharged were re-arrested after agents discovered they had violent criminal records. At least six others had felony convictions or had repeatedly violated immigration laws, and that dozens more had been arrested for shoplifting and petty larceny, or cited for drunk driving.