Thread: AZ-Joe Gets $1.6M to help immigration enforcement

County accepts $1.6M to help immigration enforcement
47 commentsby Yvonne Wingett - May. 20, 2009 12:37 PM

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday voted to accept $1.6 million from the state to help pay for illegal-immigration enforcement by Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The money will supplement Arpaio's immigration enforcement through an agreement with the state Department of Public Safety.

The vote was controversial because of the sheriff's adversarial relationship with the board, budget fights, investigations and remarks by Arpaio during a recent speech that county officials considered threatening.
Also, the program that allows the Sheriff's Office to enforce federal immigration laws, known as 287(g,) is under review by the federal government after a federal report found the program lacks clear goals about what kinds of criminals should be targeted.

Separately, the U.S. Justice Department launched a civil-rights investigation of the Sheriff's Office after months of complaints that deputies discriminate in their enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Wednesday's controversial vote came after nearly one hour of comments from the public, all who came to ask the board to refuse the money. More than three dozen members of a local advocacy group packed the meeting in downtown Phoenix to try to persuade the board.

“Today you have a choice,â€

[quote]“Today you have a choice,â€