Arpaio takes immigration victory slow

April 23, 2010
By TONY SAAVEDRA
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ORANGE – One might think Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio would be crowing Friday over Arizona enacting a state law ordering police to screen for illegal immigrants in the field.

After all Arpaio has been doing it for years - with or without official permission.

But the self-proclaimed "America's toughest sheriff" was nonchalant about the whole thing during a live radio broadcast of the "John and Ken Show" at a hotel in Orange.

"It's a political deal," Arpaio shrugged, despite the dozens of adoring fans that clogged the conference room and flowed out into the courtyard.

Still, Arpaio said, it is a good time for him to consider running for governor in the Republican primary in August. He will come to a decision in a week, he said, as the crowd cheered and howled pro-Joe slogans.

Arpaio is in town to support Orange County sheriff's candidate and former lieutenant Bill Hunt, who worked the crowd enthusiastically. Hunt chided Sheriff Sandra Hutchens for not screening for illegal immigrants in the field; for releasing some non-violent misdemenants early and for her plan to rent 2,000 jail beds to the federal government.

"We're gonna book 'em. No more cite and release," Hunt said, adding that he also wants to charge inmates for health care.

Hunt has for weeks called Arpaio a mentor and as the days pass he sounds more and more like Sheriff Joe, like a candidate that will buck the system at risk of being called a loose canon.

"We need to start thinking outside the box and doing in Orange County what Sheriff Arpaio does," Hunt said. "When I'm sheriff, we'll screen everybody."

Arpaio cautioned that Arizona's law requires reasonable suspicion that someone is not legal before they can be screened.

"Ten guys in a trunk. I would think that's reasonable suspicion," Arpaio said. He proudly announced that his department just arrested 22 illegal immigrants at a fast-food restaurant. "I just opened 22 jobs for people here legally."

Arpaio said that if he runs for governor, he would be headed for a showdown with incumbent Jan Brewer, who today signed the illegal immigration law.

"That doesn't have me scared ," he said. " I have the pink underwear."

http://www.ocregister.com/news/arpaio-2 ... -hunt.html