Arpaio Gives Broad Powers to Volunteer Deputy Squad

PHOENIX -- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has recruited 56 volunteers who he says will be assisting his department in fighting illegal immigration, reports Maritza Lizeth Félix for Prensa Hispana. The volunteer squad was sworn in on Wednesday at a ceremony presided over by the sheriff and several celebrity supporters, including actors Lou Ferrigno (of Incredible Hulk fame) and Steven Segal. The action heroes spoke to the crowd about their support for enforcing anti-immigration laws, and dubbed Joe Arpaio “the toughest sheriff in the west.”...

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21 People Arrested During Immigration Raids At Arizona McDonald's

Those arrested during the raid of four McDonald's in Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa were being held on suspicion of identity theft.

PHOENIX -- A raid targeting illegal immigration led to the arrests of 21 Phoenix-area McDonald's workers Friday, and authorities were still seeking 30 other employees as part of their investigation.

Those arrested during the raid of four McDonald's in Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa were being held on suspicion of identity theft. It will take more time to determine whether any of them are illegal immigrants as officials suspect, said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Deputies also searched a mansion in the tony Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley owned by Richard Coulston, who owns the restaurants, Arpaio said. Coulston was not arrested.

Deputies could be seen on local television stations swarming around Coulston's mansion, and McDonald's workers were shown crying and hugging each other.

It's a shame that Friday's arrests had to happen at the fast-food restaurant, which is "more than just a business," Arpaio said.

"It's an American institution," he said, adding, "a place that my kids and yours could always count on for their first job ever. That these McDonald's restaurants targeted in today's investigation are giving jobs away to people using false IDs or perhaps working here illegally is a shame."

Arizona Sheriff Launches Immigration Sweep

PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona has launched a two-day, countywide crime and immigration sweep that authorities say will focus on drop houses, drug violators and human smuggling vehicles.

Four hundred deputies and volunteer posse members are taking part in the patrols. The sweep, which began Thursday, is Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 14th since early 2008.

During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city — in some cases heavily Latino areas — to seek out traffic violators and arrest other alleged lawbreakers.

Critics say Arpaio's deputies have racially profiled Hispanics. The sheriff says deputies approach people only when they have probable cause to believe people have committed crimes.