http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... r0401.html

Apr. 1, 2006 12:00 AM

Despite a nationwide uproar on immigrant issues, Maricopa County sheriff's deputies announced Friday that five more undocumented immigrants were arrested for prosecution under an Arizona anti-smuggling law enacted in August.

"I am continuing to enforce this law despite the controversy surrounding it," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. Arpaio said he's pleased that Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas supports efforts to prosecute people accused of violating the law.

The five were nabbed near Gila Bend and booked into a county jail.

The arrests came four weeks after Arpaio and Thomas announced the arrest of 54 undocumented immigrants March 2. The lawmaker who sponsored the new law has said the county officials are violating the measure's intent, which was to go after smugglers, not migrants.