Arpaio plans to launch his 20th immigration sweep
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo
PHOENIX (AP) - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio plans to launch his 20th crime and immigration sweep within the next few weeks, but his office declined to say when and where the patrols will take place.
During the patrols, deputies flood an area of a city - in some cases, heavily Latino areas - over several days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders.
Critics say deputies have racially profiled Hispanics during the sweeps.
The sheriff denies the racial profiling allegation.
Illegal immigrants accounted for 60 percent of the 1,409 people arrested in the sweeps since early 2008.
The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation of Arpaio's office.
The sheriff says the probe is focused on his immigration efforts.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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