SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Immigration officials have offered to shelve 7.5 percent of deportation cases under a massive review of the backlogged U.S. immigration court system aimed at focusing on deporting more criminals.

      Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday said the agency has so far agreed to temporarily suspend deporting roughly 16,500 people after reviewing more than 70 percent of the immigration cases pending as of mid-April.

      ICE officials say 2,700 cases have been shelved. The rest still require paperwork and background checks.

      It's not immediately clear how many immigrants have accepted the offer.

      The Obama administration announced in August that roughly 300,000 deportation cases would be reviewed and non-criminals and those illegal immigrants who don't pose a public safety or national security threat would likely have their cases put on hold indefinitely.

      
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