More Community Repression Sweeps

Sheriff Joe continues to do his sworn duty to protect the people of this state from petty theives, hard workers, and poor people taking extraordinary risks to build a better life for their families...

----------------------------MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE----------------

Press Release

Date: April 30, 2010

15th CRIME SUPPRESSION/ ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPERATION
HAS SUCCESSFUL FIRST DAY

93 Total Arrests/ 63 Suspected of Being Illegal Aliens

(Maricopa County, AZ) As nationwide criticism looms of Arizona’s new controversial
immigration law, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office continued its efforts of
enforcing all aspects of immigration laws already on the books during a two-day
crime suppression/ illegal immigration operation.

Sheriff Arpaio launched the operation on Thursday afternoon targeting an area of west
Phoenix that has been known for high levels of human smuggling and illegal alien
activity.

The Sheriff reports that after the first day of the operation, 93 total arrests were made
and 63 of those were suspected of being illegal aliens. The illegal alien arrests were
the result of six separate vehicles stopped for traffic violations and were found to be
smuggling illegal aliens out of the valley to other locations of the country.

Arpaio was met by many protesters at the location of the operation’s command post in
South Phoenix.

After his attempt to speak with the protesters Arpaio stated, “These people are very
irrational and will not even give me the opportunity to get a word in with them. It
appears that their minds have been made up and they are unwilling to listen to anyone
in support of upholding illegal immigration laws.”

Day two of the operation is scheduled to start up today at 4PM where deputies will
again focus their efforts in west Phoenix. Sheriff Arpaio will be on site at the
command post at 4PM and will be available for comment to the media.