Citing volume and a decades-old court settlement, federal authorities have been releasing large groups of undocumented immigrant families in Arizona. About 100 people were dropped off at an East Valley church Wednesday night.
When the families got off U.S. Department of Homeland Security buses, volunteers welcomed them to Central Christian Church in Mesa. There was a hot meal of soup, beans, rice and tortillas waiting for the families.
Rev. Magdalena Schwartz has been coordinating with a handful Valley churches to help people released from detention — more than 200 in recent days. She’s not sure how long the releases will continue.
“It will be for [a] while,” Schwartz said.
A court settlement forbids federal authorities from detaining migrant children for longer than 20 days.
