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FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2001

In response to a recent Supreme Court decision, the Immigration and Naturalization Service will begin releasing 3,400 foreign ex-convicts whose home countries will not take them back, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced on Thursday.

Previous INS policy allowed the United States to detain convicted aliens indefinitely even after they served their time for crimes committed. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court in June ruled that policy was unconstitutional.

In some cases, the aliens are legal immigrants but may not hold citizenship in another country or the United States, leading to some refusals.

Ashcroft is threatening action if certain nation continue to refuse the ex-convicts.

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Get the Story:
INS to Free 3,400 Ex-Convicts (The Washington Post 7/20)
Ashcroft demands criminals' return (The Denver Rocky Mountain News 7/20)
Ashcroft fights immigrant ruling (The Denver Post 7/20)