Sheriff to House 1070 Violators in Tent City Jail
Updated: Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010, 6:48 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010, 9:38 AM MDT



PHOENIX - Sheriff Joe Arpaio is celebrating the 17th anniversary of Tent City, and he's introducing a new section of the jail.

He has opened an area called Section 1070. It's part of Tent City that will be dedicated specifically for anyone arrested for violating Arizona’s new immigration law by local law enforcement agencies on or after July 29.

The infamous Tent City Jail houses its inmates outdoors -- but some inmates actually prefer to be outside as opposed to a cell.

"It don't mind it out here," says inmate Troy Huczel. "I'd rather be outside than indoors. And we get to work so it takes up most of our day."

"You have slight more freedom, you get to enjoy the outdoors as opposed to being locked indoors," says inmate James Etchamendy.

Temperatures under the tented canopy can reach up to 135 degrees in the summer, and some civil rights groups call that inhumane. But the sheriff says men and women serving in the U.S. military are living the exact same way overseas.

Sheriff Joe says he will keep violators of Arizona's new immigration law in the new section of Tent City because of logistics and ease of deportation -- assuring us it has nothing to do with race.

According to the sheriff, over 400,000 inmates have stayed at Tent City since it opened in 1993.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/im ... y-07212010