Arpaio: Dream Act protests 'all politics'

PHOENIX (CBS5) -

Four undocumented students arrested for protesting Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration policies are now out of jail.

Immigration officials said because the students have no violent crimes in their history per federal policy they will not be deported and that doesn't sit well with Sheriff Arpaio.

"What's sad about this whole situation is that it's all politics," Sheriff Arpaio told CBS 5 in an interview Thursday.

March 22, 2012
Pat McReynolds
KPHO

Arpaio doesn't buy that these students were rallying simply for the right to stay in this country. He said the whole protest was orchestrated at the highest levels, even from the White House.

"If you don't think the president is not involved in this, I remember seeing one of those people arrested shaking hands with the president," Arpaio claimed.

That may not be evidence of a conspiracy but Arpaio does believe the four young people released Wednesday night knew well beforehand that they would never be deported despite what they said upon walking out of jail.

"Everyone literally told us, you're getting deported, why are you messing up your life, why are you screwing up your whole life just for this cause, well we're like, this cause is bigger than ourselves," said one of the students released.

"There are rumors in this state that this is not high priority with the voting public, well maybe the voting public is going to get very angry at the games that were played at my expense, indirectly," said Arpaio.

Arpaio said the whole plan of the protesters was to goad his deputies into showing up and arresting them. But Arpaio said he fooled them and left the arresting up to Phoenix police.

He claims to have compassion for young people whose parents were the ones who made the decision to cross the border but said his compassion only goes so far.

"They violated the law and they should be deported and some action taken and that's the way it is, or change the law, Congress, change the law!" Arpaio said. "They've been talking about the DREAM Act for years. Now they have to show a message in a political year, using me as a focal point?"

As always, Arpaio told CBS-5 News that despite the federal government's policy of letting go non-violent undocumented immigrants, he will continue to enforce the laws on the books.