Bahamas angers resort by briefly detaining US citizen employee in work permit crackdown

NASSAU, Bahamas – A crackdown in the Bahamas on foreign workers with expired work permits is coming in for renewed criticism after a U.S. citizen who works at a local resort was briefly detained by immigration authorities.

The woman works as a sea lion trainer at the Atlantis Resort, the largest private employer in the Bahamas. Agents took her away for questioning Tuesday as she led a sea lion exhibition for tourists.

Atlantis managing director George Markantonis said Wednesday that he was "extremely upset" about what happened and complained to the government.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell later expressed regret over the incident and said it had been resolved.

The government has angered private employers by delaying new permits for foreign workers to encourage the hiring of Bahamians.