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Ariz. Sheriff Defies Feds with Immigration Sweep

Arpaio continues arresting suspected illegal immigrants despite loss of powers

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 16, 2009 9:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – The "toughest sheriff in America" isn't going to let anything stop him enforcing the law—not even the law. Joe Arpaio launched crime and immigration sweeps in Phoenix yesterday in defiance of a federal order stripping his deputies of the right to make immigration arrests in the field. "it doesn't bother me, because we are going to do the same thing," Arpaio said. "I am the elected sheriff. I don't take orders from the federal government."

The sheriff's office is being investigated for alleged racial profiling and unconstitutional searches and seizures. Arpaio insists he can still arrest suspected illegal immigrants under a state smuggling law and a federal law, although his interpretation of federal law appears to have come from a document found by a staff member on an anti-immigration website, according to the Arizona Republic.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio walks through the command center area at the sheriff's district 1 substation in Mesa, Ariz.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio walks through the command center area at the sheriff's district 1 substation in Mesa, Ariz.   (AP Photo/East Valley Tribune, Ralph Freso)
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, left, orders approximately 200 convicted illegal immigrants handcuffed together in Phoenix earlier this year.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, left, orders approximately 200 convicted illegal immigrants handcuffed together in Phoenix earlier this year.   (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio gives a news conference in Mesa, Ariz.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio gives a news conference in Mesa, Ariz.   (AP Photo/East Valley Tribune, Ralph Freso)
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He is doing this to thumb his nose at the Obama administration. - Lydia Guzman, president of Hispanic
civil rights group Somos America

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 44 comments
Mercenary_Soldier
Apr 5, 2010 1:41 PM CDT
I am glad that he is against illegal immagration. You can help by reading this:
http://www.numbersusa.com/cont...
RockyPneumonia
Oct 18, 2009 12:21 PM CDT
Yes, Jayster, he does, because he doesn't have jurisdiction in immigration matters, and contrary to what you might believe, the "law" is not "whatever Right-Wing Wackos want it to be."
RockyPneumonia
Oct 18, 2009 10:06 AM CDT
This isn't the first time that "states' rights" has been used as a euphemism for racism. I guess you've never read that about 140 years ago, it was rather definitively established that federal law has supremacy over states' rights.

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