Rhino
05-11-2006, 11:24 AM
Arizona Sheriff Uses Anti-Smuggling Law to Target Illegal Immigrants
Thursday, May 11, 2006
GILA BEND, Ariz. — One Arizona county sheriff has created a 250-strong posse to hunt down those who cross the border illegally.
"I'm the only agency enforcing this law because it is the law," Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told FOX News. "It's a violation of the law, and I'm going to put tents up from here to Mexico if I have to to keep these illegals incarcerated."
But Arpaio's actions are already causing some controversy.
Arpaio, the sheriff for Arizona's most populous county, is taking advantage of a new state law that allows charging undocumented immigrants with criminal conspiracy to smuggle themselves into the United States. Previous laws had made entering the U.S. illegally a misdemeanor, not a felony. The anti-human-smuggling statute took effect in Arizona in August and gave prosecutors a tool to go after "coyotes," or smugglers, who traffic in undocumented immigrants.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office later issued an opinion saying undocumented immigrants suspected of paying coyotes could be prosecuted as conspirators.
"It’s a felony; I am enforcing a new law," Arpaio said. "I’m the elected sheriff and I'm going to do what I feel is right regardless of the controversy."
On Wednesday night, Arpaio and his posse launched patrols in desert areas and major roadways southwest of Phoenix in search of illegal immigrants to arrest. FOX News' William LaJeunesse rode along on some of the patrols.
The group was comprised of existing Maricopa County sheriff's deputies and members of the department's 3,000-member posse reserve of trained volunteers.
The posse was patrolling the area here for illegal immigrants who pay smugglers to cross through Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. There have been 147 arrests since the posse began its roundups six weeks ago, including at least one arrest Wednesday night..........http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195083,00.html
Make the guy the Attorney General!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
GILA BEND, Ariz. — One Arizona county sheriff has created a 250-strong posse to hunt down those who cross the border illegally.
"I'm the only agency enforcing this law because it is the law," Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told FOX News. "It's a violation of the law, and I'm going to put tents up from here to Mexico if I have to to keep these illegals incarcerated."
But Arpaio's actions are already causing some controversy.
Arpaio, the sheriff for Arizona's most populous county, is taking advantage of a new state law that allows charging undocumented immigrants with criminal conspiracy to smuggle themselves into the United States. Previous laws had made entering the U.S. illegally a misdemeanor, not a felony. The anti-human-smuggling statute took effect in Arizona in August and gave prosecutors a tool to go after "coyotes," or smugglers, who traffic in undocumented immigrants.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office later issued an opinion saying undocumented immigrants suspected of paying coyotes could be prosecuted as conspirators.
"It’s a felony; I am enforcing a new law," Arpaio said. "I’m the elected sheriff and I'm going to do what I feel is right regardless of the controversy."
On Wednesday night, Arpaio and his posse launched patrols in desert areas and major roadways southwest of Phoenix in search of illegal immigrants to arrest. FOX News' William LaJeunesse rode along on some of the patrols.
The group was comprised of existing Maricopa County sheriff's deputies and members of the department's 3,000-member posse reserve of trained volunteers.
The posse was patrolling the area here for illegal immigrants who pay smugglers to cross through Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. There have been 147 arrests since the posse began its roundups six weeks ago, including at least one arrest Wednesday night..........http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195083,00.html
Make the guy the Attorney General!