'No One Is Higher Than Me,' Sheriff Arpaio Tells Inmate

Source: PBS NewsHour

... Arpaio allowed us to interview inmates in the tent city where he houses people held on immigration charges. It's somewhat unusual for law enforcement to allow cameras inside a jail, but Arpaio has long permitted media access.

We interviewed a number of the inmates through an interpreter. The men complained about being outdoors during Arizona's hot days and cold nights, about the food, and about being detained in general. Several were quite knowledgeable about the controversy surrounding SB-1070, and most had been in the U.S. illegally for several years.

With the inmates looking on in the background, we later interviewed the sheriff himself in the same area. As we were packing up to leave, one young man approached Arpaio and started asking questions in Spanish. Guillermo Perez-Aguilar, 36, came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1996 and was arrested after he was not able to produce documentation proving he was in the country legally. Without hesitation, Arpaio engaged him in an impromptu debate, conducted via our interpreter.

We have posted an excerpt from that somewhat extraordinary conversation. (Video at link)

Read more: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/04/no-one-is-higher-than-me-sheriff-arpaio-tells-inmate-1.html