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Published Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008 | 12:37 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 | 10:15 a.m.
Sun Expanded Coverage
Lou Dobbs, (5-23-2007)
(The Sun has gone on the road to listen to voters and talk to political leaders around the West. Reporters will examine the economic, cultural and demographic forces re-shaping the region as they drive to Denver for the first of the two major party conventions the Sun will cover.)
PHOENIX — We waited for a phone call Wednesday from Sheriff Joe Arpaio's press people.
It never came.
Arpaio is the long-time sheriff of Maricopa County, which is sort of the Phoenix equivalent of Clark County. Arpaio, who's running for re-election, has been rounding up illegal immigrants in raids around the county since earlier this year. He uses as many as 200 deputies, what he calls a posse, to serve warrants and make traffic stops. Anyone who can't prove American citizenship gets hauled in.
Civil rights advocates say the areas they hit seem to always be poor, Hispanic areas. (Though Arpaio did sweep the parking lot of the Home Depot in his wealthy, white enclave, according to a local TV producer who covers immigration.)
In two of the raids in which we saw data about the arrest, about half turned out to be illegal immigrants.
In one sense, that proves his point that illegal immigrants come here with impunity and the feds aren't taking action, so the local lawman is.
If you were one of those people wrongly detained, you might think differently. (You might also be bothered if you weren't wrongly detained, but don't think the government, which has a legal monopoly on violence, should be allowed to round people up just because they can't prove citizenship.)
A class action lawsuit challenges the policy.
Here's what's a little strange about the sheriff's actions: He apparently tips off the media about his sweeps, and then has big press events when he's finished. He marches the suspects before reporters and producers, though media are not allowed to show faces. (That would be inhumane.)
We are not sure why his office wouldn't call us back. We're told he may be re-examining his media strategy. (Up until now, the strategy has apparently been this: all media, all the time. He sent out a press release recently instructing local media not to call the pager, which is now reserved for national media only.)
Sheriff Joe also sweeps the streets of Phoenix for illegal food vendors.
Here's how he describes himself on his own official Web site (bear in mind, this not his campaign Web site):
"You probably know him as 'America's Toughest Sheriff[, a name given to him by the media years ago. It's a name he certainly has earned as the head of the nation's fourth largest Sheriff's Office. But even before he became Sheriff in 1993, Joe Arpaio was one tough law man."
As a Vegas resident, it's quite satisfying, if a little strange, to come to Phoenix and be able to say of one of its elected officials: "The people of Las Vegas would never allow this guy to get into office."
A larger -- and very important -- point can be made about the sheriff, and the long term ramifications of his reign on Arizona and Nevada politics.
We'll explore it in detail in our Sunday story.
The article about Sheriff Joe Ariapo sweeps to grab illegal aliens off the streets, has caused a massive backlash in the Arizona newspapers. A secret battle is going on, between the pro-Sheriff and the Liberal-pro illegal immigrant zealots in the pages of AZ-Central e-magazine. It's has very irate citizens blasting those who see no wrong in the illegal alien invasion.
Sheriff Ariapo was elected by voters in Maricopa County and has a huge following.
Even tainted Governors like Neapolitano and Mayor Phil Gordon have been warned off? It seems like hundreds of thousands of Phoenix residents don't like the pro-illegal policies of the Governor and Mayor and calling for the latter's recall.
People in the city are fed up with the rising crime rate and have seen an escalation of criminal acts caused by illegal entrants. Fact is with destitute people looking for a free-handout by our government in this nation, amongst them have come heinous gang members that have been allowed by 'Sanctuary city' to get away with cold-blooded murder.
Death is an infestation in the neighborhoods of California, Colorado, Salt lake city. Jamiel Shaw Murdered. the Bolgna family with a AK47.
So Sheriff Ariapo in his own way is following the statutes of Arizona law and whether liberal-socialists like it or not, he has committed his deputies to remove illegal aliens.
AMNESTY is coming, and that means OVERPOPULATION within 20 years and unless we enforce our laws against predatory employers. We will be flooded with the dregs of third world countries in the millions until every state, county and city tax base is drowned in red ink.
NUMBERSUSA, CAPSWEB for truth not propaganda.
i love sheriff ariapo! too bad our officials are too dam lazy to do something whether it be right or wrong -- at least he's trying.
Sheriff Joe rocks!!! I wish he was running Metro!
Sheriff Joe is doing his job! I live in Maricopa County, and, We Love Him! All that aside, yesterday Aug.13th he arrested 22 illegals charged with class 4 felony's. Our Bleeding heart Governor
(who signed the law) says he's wasting taxpayer money!! I just got off the phone with a buddy who drives truck and he said the Sheriff just raided the landscaping company by his trucking yard. They loaded a big Van with the poor illegals. Good bye have a great life where you came from. Take a friend with you and your kids with you. bye, bye.
Don't gloss over how Sheriff Joe thinks the 1st Amendment doesn't apply to his office, as he routinely threatens/attempts to have reporters arrested for investigating his office.
I have been a Phoenix resident for the past 32 years. I have been twice hit by illegals in traffic accidents. My auto and health insurance costs are abnormally high due to illegals. My city's police force is overburdened with crime due to illegals. When I am in the checkout line at the grocery store, often there is an illegal in line getting food stamp food for her anchor baby. I pay for all this stuff. The author of this article TOTALLY misses the point. Sheriff Arpaio is saving Maricopa County residents enormous amounts of money by calling media attention to his roundups. The media attention is scaring many, many illegals into moving out of Maricopa county. With a few actions, the sheriff gets big results. "Civil rights advocates say the areas they hit seem to always be poor, Hispanic areas." I love that line from the article. Should the sheriff be going to Swedish neighborhoods? I hope all of the illegals fleeing Maricopa County end up in Clark County. Residents there will be begging Sheriff Joe to run for office.