Conn., immigrant group settle 'detainee' lawsuit

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — The Malloy administration and immigrants' rights advocates in Connecticut have announced a legal settlement limiting the number of immigrants handed over to federal officials.

Yale Law School's Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, which represented an East Haven man detained by state officials and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced the settlement Tuesday.

Mike Lawlor, undersecretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning, said the settlement approves a policy that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy put in place in April. State officials will honor so-called "detainer requests" by federal immigration officials only when dealing with serious or violent criminals.

Immigrant advocates say the state turned over 33 individuals to ICE each month in 2011. Since case-by-case assessments took effect, the number has dropped to fewer than 10 per month.