74 arrested in MCSO's 3-day crime sweep
10 immigrants were later freed
by Chase Purdy - Jul. 26, 2009 05:26 PM

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday that 74 people were arrested during a three-day crime suppression sweep that began Thursday.

The crime-suppression operation started as an attempt to control crime and illegal immigration in Chandler and Queen Creek, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.

But new federal guidelines are preventing deputies from arresting undocumented immigrants solely for being in the country illegally. MCSO released three undocumented immigrants from custody Thursday and seven Friday per instruction from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The first two days of the operation resulted in 68 arrests including 14 undocumented immigrants who committed a civil or criminal violation and the 10 who were released.

Of the 72 arrested as of Saturday afternoon, only 25 were undocumented immigrants. Fifteen were arrested on state charges.

Arpaio said a statement released Friday by U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler was incorrect. Chandler said the decision to release a total of 10 people taken into custody Thursday and Friday was a Sheriff's Office decision alone.

“They told us they will not accept those people that we've detained, and that we have to let them go,â€