Immigration authorities say they are releasing some asylum-seeking migrant families held in detention in Arizona because they don't have the resources to handle a new influx of adults with children asking to stay in the U.S.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials did not say how many migrants were released beginning Sunday, but KTAR news radio reports more than 400 people have been freed to await their amnesty claims. A spokeswoman at Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Phoenix says about 100 migrants were taken there Monday.
ICE spokeswoman Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said Tuesday the agency doesn't have the capacity to deal with a high volume of migrant families showing up at Arizona's border with Mexico. Past court rulings limit how long minors can be held in immigration custody.
