Sheriff Arpaio may lose some immigrant authority [View All]

Source: AZ Central

The controversial agreement that authorized Sheriff Joe Arpaio's deputies to act as federal immigration agents on the streets appears to have ended, Arpaio said late Friday afternoon.

The sheriff said he signed a new agreement Friday that will allow deputies and detention officers to continue screening every inmate booked into Maricopa County jails to determine their immigration status. But he said federal authorities had not offered an agreement to extend Arpaio's street-level immigration enforcement.

"This just includes the jail, and deep down, I feel that I ought to take it and rip it all up," Arpaio said. "On the other hand, I feel it's very critical to have the jail."

Federal officials on Friday refused to comment on the agreement.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/10/03/20091003arpaio-ice1003.html