Homeland Security released more than 1,100 illegal immigrants with criminal records from its detention facilities in December as it sought to make room for a border surge that never materialized.
Deportation officers had said they were being told to stop making arrests and clear space for the impact expected from changing a pandemic border policy. The new data, released earlier this month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shows the extent of the moves.
ICE said it released 515 migrants with criminal convictions and another 641 who face active criminal charges.
Officers said the releases were tied to the Title 42 pandemic border policy, which under a court order was supposed to disappear just before Christmas.