Sheriff planning another immigration sweep
by Associated Press (July 23rd, 2009 @ 4:05pm)
Comments:24

PHOENIX - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has begun a three-day crime and immigration sweep in southeast metropolitan Phoenix.

Nearly 200 sheriff's deputies and posse volunteers were scheduled to fan out during the sweeps late Thursday afternoon and get help from Pinal County sheriff's deputies.

"We will see if we arrest an illegal - or a bunch of illegals - with no crime other than being illegal," Arpaio said. "And we will see what the ICE response is, whether they say you cannot enforce the 287G tonight, you gotta let them go."

Arpaio has run several sweeps throughout the county in the past year to catch illegal immigrants, drawing criticism that deputies were racially profiling people. He said he may soon lose the opportunity to conduct the sweeps.

"Let's see what will happen with this new agreement that's coming up," he said. "I've got a gut feeling that we won't be able to do it anymore."

The sheriff denies the racial profiling allegation and says a U.S. Justice Department investigation of his office was spurred by his efforts to combat illegal immigration in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix.

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