Immigration Officials Release Afghan Family Detained At LAX

SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com/AP) — A lawyer for an Afghan family of five who traveled to the United States on special visas and was detained in Los Angeles says immigration officials have agreed to release them.

Talia Inlender, a senior staff attorney at Public Counsel, says the government agreed to release the family Monday afternoon.

Los Angeles attorney Robert Blume, who is also representing the family, said he was notified that the family was being released "to a parole status."

"We are grateful that the family's liberty will be renewed, but remain troubled that the government still has not provided any reason for their original arrest and detention," Blume said. "We also remain concerned that the government refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the family's Special Immigration Visa."

Blume said attorneys will continue pursuing the case "until the remaining injustices are addressed."

The family was detained after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday on their way to resettle in Washington state. Lawyers say the father obtained special immigrant visas for his family after working for the U.S. government in Afghanistan.

A federal judge ordered a court hearing for Monday on the family's case after this weekend blocking government officials from removing the family from California.

News of the family's pending release came about 90 minutes before a scheduled federal court hearing in Santa Ana about the family's status.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.)