Arpaio crime sweep nets 87 arrests so far

Oct. 7, 2011 08:43 PM
Associated Press

PHOENIX - Eighty-seven people have been arrested so far in Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's latest crime and immigration sweep in southwest Phoenix.

Arpaio says at least 19 of those arrested were illegal immigrants.

During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city - in some cases, heavily Latino areas - over several days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders.

Critics say deputies have racially profiled Hispanics during the sweeps, while the sheriff denies the allegation.

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation of Arpaio's office.

The sheriff says the probe is focused on his immigration efforts.

Immigrant rights advocates fanned out across the sweep area with video cameras to record exchanges between deputies and motorists and plan to give their recordings to federal investigators.
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