WASHINGTON, CMC – A top United States Department of Homeland Security official in charge of deportations has stepped down in the aftermath of a flap over the release of Caribbean and other detainees.
Gary Mead’s departure comes after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency on Monday released hundreds of immigrants from jails and detention centers across the country.

ICE said the move comes as automatic US federal budget cuts loom on March 1.
While Mead sent a resignation email to his staff, ICE officials insisted his exodus was not linked to the mass release of immigrants who the government says are not a priority for deportation.