Peoria's Westbrook residents cheer Arpaio's immigration stand
Sheriff's immigration policy proves popular among retirees
by Marjon Rostami - Apr. 1, 2009 09:42 AM

More than 450 residents attended a Westbrook Village Association town hall Monday evening.

Generally, fewer than 50 residents of the Peoria retirement community attend the semimonthly meetings.

But the guest speaker, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, drew an excited crowd.
"We were really talking it up," said the neighborhood's posse commander, Catherine Clauer. "We did a lot of advertising in the community, putting up fliers, talking to people who come through. We're really active in the community."

Arpaio reiterated his policy of cracking down on illegal immigrants and that was met by enthusiastic applause, whistles and shouts of approval, although there was a dozing resident for every few who were cheering.

"We're a retirement village. In some respect, he's just preaching to the choir, based on the response he's getting," said Bill Hayn, a Westbrook resident since 1995. "I think what was presented should have gone to a wider public."

State Sen. Russell Pearce, a Mesa Republican, followed Arpaio's speech with more heated language against undocumented workers, urging citizens to call them "illegal aliens."

"I was surprised how many people here didn't know who Senator Pearce was," Clauer said.

"The sheriff definitely brought people out."

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