Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the federal government's decision to release illegal immigrants detained in four states was President Barack Obama's way of getting back at Arizona "because of the actions we have taken here,"
according to 3TV in Phoenix.
The Department of Homeland Security has released more than 2,000 inmates in Arizona, California, Georgia, and Texas, allegedly in an attempt to reduce costs in the face of automatic spending cuts.
However, the Republican governor disagrees with the explanation given by the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"They're releasing what we believe to be criminals, illegal aliens out of jail and into our society, not knowing who they are or what they are doing," she said. "So yeah, I do believe this is payback."
"I think it's pretty clear, [they're] not looking upon Arizona favorably because of the actions we have taken here," she added in the television interview.
Brewer made headlines last month when she criticized the federal government’s immigration policies just hours before the president’s State of the Union address. And just last week, she told Fox News the release of immigrants was carried out to "to punish" and make Arizona "squirm."
But Republican Sen. Jon Kyl told 3TV Sunday that "it would be hard to make the case Arizona was specifically singled out" since other states were hit by the release as well.
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