Sheriff Arpaio and the Feds

(Phoenix, Arizona) Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been given a deadline of October 15 to sign a new agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to allow him to continue to arrest illegals. The deadline could be extended.

Sheriff Joe has problems with the new arrangement since it attempts to limit public disclosure of illegal alien arrests. He vows to continue to talk to the media regarding raids and crime sweeps.

Arpaio said he is optimistic a new accord can be signed but added that if not, he plans to continue enforcing the state’s employer sanctions law — the Legal Arizona Workers Act.

The MCSO has arrested 310 workers on raids of 22 businesses since 2008 under the law. The MCSO also has arrested human smugglers and undocumented immigrants via traffic stops and other methods that do not require ICE approval.

Frankly, I think it's illegitimately intrusive for the federal government to mandate line-by-line instructions on how a local sheriff is required to do his job.