Immigration enforcement training scheduled for Pinal County deputies

State and local police generally have stayed out of immigration enforcement, which is considered federal jurisdiction, in the past. Now, however, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is training its deputies to make immigration arrests and speed up deportations.

Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez said that initially he plans to get five deputies and five detention officers trained, doing training periodically until most deputies have received it.

Training lasts five weeks and includes lessons on immigration law, anti-racial profiling efforts and instructions on questioning people about their immigration status without violating their civil rights.

Such instruction will better prepare deputies and detention officers to follow Proposition 100, a voter-approved law that denies bail for illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes, according to Vasquez.

With this training state and local officers in the field are able to make immigration arrests while carrying out their regular duties. They cannot set up roadblocks, conduct raids or take action for the sole intent of making immigration arrests.

Why is this training needed? Here is an example:

On Monday, Aug. 6, the sheriff’s office received a report of subjects chasing a group of people five miles north of Florence on Hwy. 79. A Chevy van was found abandoned with a blown-out rear tire. Seven subjects were discovered within miles of the van.

Fifteen individuals left Agua Prieta Monday a.m. headed to Phoenix. They were followed by a gray Jeep Cherokee with handgun-brandishing occupants and told to turn back to Florence. In their attempt to comply, the van’s tire blew. Seven passengers ran while nine subjects were taken to the Jeep Cherokee, which later let off five people and drove off with the remaining four people.

At approximately 3 p.m. deputies stopped the Cherokee with occupants in the front and middle seats as well as in the cargo area. One individual was taken into custody. All the others were transported to the INS facility and turned over to ICE.

“It’s not my intent to go and do immigration’s job and go do illegal roundups,” Vasquez said. “My job is to give my guys the tools that if we do come across undocumented aliens we have the tools, the training and the knowledge to do it the right way.”