In the United States immigration is a sticky topic. While some people don't mind immigrants living in the country, others like president-elect Donald Trump are serious about getting undocumented immigrants out. Now Haitian immigrants are being released from jails due to space issues.
According to FOX News Latino, federal officials say that they are releasing Haitian immigrants who have been entering the country in droves since last year. This move reniges on their pledge to jail them before the deportation process begins.
The site reports that the decision to release haitians will likely add to the grwoing backlog of more than half-a million cases already pending in immigration court. The backlog shows that immigrants typically wait years for a judge to decide if they should be banned from the country.
A U.S. government official revealed to The Associated Press that the decision to free haitians arriving in Arizona and California is in response to a lack of jail space.
Between October 2015 and late September, about 5,000 Haitians arrived at San Diego's San Ysidro port of entry with another 40,000 more on their way according to officials.
Officials say that releasing immigrants with orders to report later only stand when detention space is scarce, under certain humanitarian conditions or as part of efforts to not misplace families.
Before the Haitians are released, they will be 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.
The Department of Homeland Security reports that there are approximately 41,000 people in immigration detention facilities compared to a typical population of 31,000 to 34,000.
Trump seems to not be backing down on his views when it comes to immigration so it is no surprise that efforts to deport will move quickly.
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