Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona is well-known for his tough stance on illegal immigration. Now he has launched a new tool for combatting human smuggling — a telephone tip line for citizens to report suspicious activity. This phone number is exclusively for reports regarding illegal immigration, and tips will be fielded by a new team of specially trained deputies. Today, Arpaio is deputizing 64 federal immigration agents to act as both federal and local law enforcement agents.

References:

East Valley Tribune

A concentrated crackdown” on illegal immigrants started Friday night in Maricopa County. Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced he’s dispatched more than 200 deputies and posse members to saturate valley cities and roadways known to be corridors for human smuggling….

Arpaio said he’s also opening a hotline for tipsters to report suspected illegal immigrants.

Arpaio said the program is comprehensive and controversial, but that it’s constitutional.

“We’re not going to go out on a street corner and round up people because they look like they’re from a foreign country,” Arpaio said Friday….

Deputies will use SWAT, aviation and electronic surveillance, night vision and high-tech weaponry to target vehicles commonly used to move large numbers of illegal immigrants, Arpaio said. If such a vehicle is stopped for speeding, for example, anyone inside the vehicle who’s determined by deputies to be an illegal immigrant will be arrested and jailed.

Arpaio stressed the need for probable cause to arrest a suspect. That means a vehicle must have a fake license plate, be speeding, run a red light, or break some other law before deputies can pull over the vehicle and question its occupants….

To further add to his numbers, the sheriff will deputize 64 federal immigration (ICE) agents on Monday, which will enable them to act as both federal and local law enforcement agents….

Arpaio also announced a hotline for citizens to call with information or evidence about illegal immigrants. He plans to advertise the hotline by posting its phone number on the sides of sheriff’s trucks….