Department of Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano said she had no part in the recent release of hundreds of low-risk, undocumented immigrant detainees ahead of impending federal spending cuts under the sequestration, ABC News reports.
“Detainee populations and how that is managed back and forth is really handled by career officials in the field,” Napolitano said, acknowledged the timing was bad.
Two Arizona officials, Gov. Jan Brewer and Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, complained to CNN that they were never notified of the release.
“This is a criminal element that the federal administration has decided to release into the communities,” the Republican governor told CNN. “It’s wrong and it’s outrageous and it’s appalling to do something of this magnitude and not contact myself or my homeland security people.”