Arpaio says his deputies will keep arresting illegal immigrants


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March 06, 2009, 7:08 p.m.


PHOENIX - The sheriff's department in Arizona's most populated county will continue to arrest illegal immigrants even if it drops out of a federal program that lets local police enforce federal immigration laws, the sheriff said.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has gained national attention for his hard-line stance on illegal immigration, said he would likely leave the program if immigration officials attempt to curtail his enforcement powers, including the ability to arrest immigrants for merely being in the country illegally.

Federal Homeland Security officials will make it clear in newly written guidelines that the program is primarily for going after immigrants who commit serious crimes.

Arpaio's department is the largest participant in the program. But even without the federal agreement, Maricopa County has an avenue to pursue illegal immigrants because of a state anti-smuggling law.

The Arizona law was meant to give police a tool to combat immigrant smuggling but an interpretation by Maricopa County's top prosecutor opened the door for authorities to also charge people who pay smugglers as co-conspirators.

Arpaio said he will continue arresting illegal immigrants under the human smuggling law and Arizona's employer sanctions laws.

He said he also would turn over any suspected illegal immigrants his deputies encounter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement even if they haven't committed any offense other than being in the country illegally.

Michael Keegan, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, declined to respond to Arpaio's comments.

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