Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 2:01pm MST

Arpaio gets no stimulus cash for immigration by Mike Sunnucks

The Barack Obama administration said Wednesday it will give $5.5 million in federal stimulus money to Arizona police agencies to help fight drug trafficking, human smuggling and illegal immigration into the U.S. from Mexico.

But the Maricopa County sheriff’s department and county attorney’s office won’t see any of the money.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday the federal government will give:

$2.9 million to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to prosecute drug rings.

$1.5 million to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for its crime labs.

$686,000 to the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department to help it assist police in arresting fugitives.

$457,000 to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to fight the illegal drug trade in Nogales.

The federal money is part of a $30 million pool of cash from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been at odds with the Obama administration on several fronts. The U.S. Justice Department — which is dispersing the grants — is investigating his office for alleged civil rights violations related to immigration and crime sweeps.

Arpaio said the raids do not unfairly target Hispanics and is fighting the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency over local police enforcement of immigration laws.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said earlier this month the Obama administration wants to rework agreements with local police departments that allow them to arrest and process illegal immigrants. Arpaio has had such an agreement since 2007.

He said the changes to the immigration accords will weaken enforcement polices and amount to amnesty for some undocumented immigrants.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas partners with Arpaio on immigration enforcement and prosecution.

The ARRA’s goal is to help the sagging U.S. economy, but the program also funds a myriad of government functions and social services including law enforcement, community health centers, parks and state Medicaid programs.

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