The federal government has released hundreds of undocumented immigrants in anticipation of pending budget cuts under sequestration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it has released “several hundred” people set for deportation in order to reduce costs. The freed detainees will be closely monitored while their deportation cases proceed. In a statement, the National Immigrant Justice Center said the move “proves a point that immigrant rights advocates have been making for years. … Those individuals who have been released will not only have the opportunity to remain with their families and have better access to legal counsel as they pursue their immigration cases, but they will do so at a great fiscal savings to the U.S. government.”