Mayor asks FBI to probe Arpaio's acts vs. illegals

[maddezmom]

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.14.2008
PHOENIX — Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is calling on the FBI to investigate whether the sheriff of Arizona's most populous county has violated any civil-rights laws in recent crackdowns on illegal immigrants.

In an April 4 letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Gordon asked the agency and the Justice Department's civil-rights division to probe what he called discriminatory harassment and improper stops, searches, and arrests by sheriff's deputies in Maricopa County, which encompasses the greater Phoenix area. Justice Department officials said they would review Gordon's letter but declined further comment.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said it's ironic that Gordon wrote the letter the same day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials observed his deputies arresting residents and illegal immigrants in the town of Guadalupe, and approved of the sheriff's work.

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In the past month, sheriff's deputies and trained volunteers have gone into neighborhoods with large Hispanic populations, pulling over people for routine traffic violations and asking some of them about their immigration status. Dozens of illegal immigrants have been detained by the federally trained deputies.

ICE officials say Arpaio is not violating the formal agreement he has with their office that allows sheriff's deputies to enforce immigration laws.

more:http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/metro/234261.php