Arpaio: Court upheld 'a good section'

http://wvgazette.com/News/politico/201206250048

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Monday that the Supreme Court protected “a good section” of the state’s immigration law by upholding the controversial “show me your papers” provision of the law.

“I think this is a good section that’s been upheld,” Arpaio said on local TV station KNXV. “I would have liked to see where we would have the authority to arrest illegal aliens just by being here illegally and book them into our jails, but that’s not going to happen. But I think this sends a message that we will be involved in enforcing the illegal alien laws and our police officers will be able to at least try to determine if they’re in this country illegally.”

Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County who calls himself the “toughest sheriff in America,” has been accused by critics of racial profiling, and the Justice Department announced in May that it is suing the sheriff.

In his interview Monday morning, Arpaio pushed back on those accusations, maintaining that he’s simply interested in doing “the right thing.”