Local Motion: Sheriff unveils migrant hotline

Arizona has been a hotbed of discontent over undocumented immigration and, just weeks ago, Governor Janet Napalitano signed a tough state immigration law.  The Arizona Republic (here) now reports that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has launched a hotline for Valley residents to report information about undocumented immigrants.   This reportedly is the first such hotline in the nation.

The hotline is part of an expanded immigration enforcement plan Arpaio unveiled. In addition, about 160 sheriff’s deputies, were trained to enforce federal immigration law, will arrest those who are here illegally. The deputies have broad powers not only to question people about their immigration status.

Other Arizona cities also are gettiong into the immigration mix.  Payson’s Town Council, for example, passed an ordinance in April that requires all its businesses to sign an affidavit stating that all employees are legal residents. Business owners who refuse to sign the affidavit won’t receive a license. Members of the Phoenix Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety also have completed Immigration and Customs Enforcement training and can act as federal officers.

Sheriff Arpaio began arresting undocumented immigrants in March 2006, targeting them under a controversial interpretation of the state’s anti-human-smuggling laws. Since then, Arpaio has been expanding his immigration efforts.

The hotline “makes every citizen, by proxy, an immigration cop,” said Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institute’s Office at New York University School of Law. “This hard-line (plan) is a direct line on vigilantism,” he said. Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said she approves of Arpaio’s enforcement plan, but not the hotline. “I think a lot of innocent people will get caught up in this, just because their skin’s brown,” Wilcox said. “We just need to make sure we’re not violating people’s civil rights, or get into racial profiling. The county may open itself up to a lot of liabilities.”

Arpaio insisted deputies would not engage in racial profiling. He said he isn’t encouraging people to turn in their neighbor’s nanny, although he said, “Neighbors should be calling in when they see a crime.”

KJ