Securing America: Heated Border Hearing

It was a hearing over border issues that got heated at times, as the Homeland Security Secretary was questioned by a Congressional committee.

FOX News Radio’s Jessica Rosenthal has more more in our ongoing series on national security:

Texas Republican Congressman Lamar Smith asked Secretary Janet Napolitano why agents don’t detain certain immigrants for possible deportation after they’re done serving jail sentences.  He says they end up being released:

Smith: “Do you know the crimes that were committed by those that you refuse to detain?”

Napolitano: “Um, uh well I will look into that Mr. Chairman.”

But it was over the ATF operation dubbed Fast and Furious when things got considerably louder. Napolitano told Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz that for awhile she didn’t know about the program that allowed U.S. guns into Mexico in an effort to find out more about drug cartels.

Chaffetz: “Was there any direction from your department or agency to allow guns to go across the border that were involved in Fast and Furious?”

Napolitano: “No. Fast and Furious was an ATF operation.”

Jessica Rosenthal, FOX News Radio.