Raid Expected in Phoenix Raises Questions About Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws
ALSO: Hear Valeria’s interview Friday morning on public radio’s The Takeaway.
A demonstration in Phoenix against Arpaio in June 2009.
PHOENIX, Arizona — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio claims he doesn’t need permission from the federal government to enforce U.S. immigration laws.
And today he plans an immigration raid to prove it.
The raid, expected later today in an undisclosed location, raises questions about how far local authorities can go when it comes to enforcing federal laws against illegal immigration. It could also test when and if the federal government is willing to intervene when local authorities step beyond their jurisdiction in enforcing immigration laws.
Arpaio announced the raid last week, shortly after he signed a new proposed agreement with the federal government that limits his immigration enforcement authorization.
The Department of Homeland Security was expected to make an announcement about the future of the agreement, known as 287(g), by the end of this week.
“I still can use the state laws to arrest illegal aliens,” said the sheriff who announced he would be willing to drive undocumented immigrants to the border if federal authorities didn’t take them in custody. Earlier in the week he said the decision to cancel the existing 287(g) agreement that allows his deputies to arrest undocumented immigrants on the street was “political.”