Welcome to the tough new immigration enforcement regime of Janet Napolitano (link):

Many if not all workers detained in the Feb. 24 immigration raid at Yamato Engine Specialists have been released from the federal detention center in Tacoma.

The unexpected move appears to be related to an ongoing federal investigation of Yamato.

"I can confirm that many of the individuals ... have indeed been released pending the further investigation of Yamato Engine," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lorie Dankers.

Besides their freedom, the workers also have permission to look for work.

The company claims they did nothing wrong, but I'd imagine they aren't too pleased with the fact that the DHS might in fact be going after the employers now. At the same time, actions like this send a very clear message to potential illegal aliens: the DHS is not going to go after you if you can make it across the border. In fact, they might even give you a choice between a flight home and a work permit.

Many of them might even catch on to the new version of the DHS' politicized mission. Before it was to allow corrupt businesses to have a low-wage workforce. The new DHS mission is to allow as many potential Democrats to stay here as possible in order to give power to corrupt politicians.

UPDATE: Per this, Rep. David Price says:

As part of its investigation, ICE has employed a long-standing law enforcement tactic by granting 'temporary immigration status' to certain individuals, which does not permanently change the status of these immigrants; it is a tactic utilized in many past investigations and does not represent any change in work-site enforcement policy.

Rep. Hal Rogers disagrees, also saying:

This doesn't make it any less alarming, and needless to say, I have several concerns with this approach. This policy affects every law-abiding citizen in America and is an apparent slap in the face for those who are struggling every day in this economic downturn... And, in the midst of a turbulent economic downturn, perhaps now is the absolute worst time to relax any effort that protect American workers from fraud -- be it illegal imports or a job unlawfully filled."

UPDATE 2: There are videos of Rogers grilling Marcy Forman of ICE here.