The People's Sheriff

A sheriff's tactics in the fight over illegal immigration put him in the national spotlight and draw the scrutiny of the local press.

Friday, March 27, 2009:

This week on Exposé: Maricopa County, Arizona -- including Phoenix and beyond, it is one of the largest counties in America.  It's known for its good living, warm desert climate, and media-savvy sheriff.  For over 16 years, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been known for his tough approach to crime. But it is only recently that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has made a huge effort to combat illegal immigration, partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a law that grants local sheriff's deputies authority to enforce federal immigration law. And when reporters Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribune took a closer look at the immigration efforts of the Sheriff's Office, they discovered that other services were suffering as a result.

Watch an extended interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Follow Tribune reporter Paul Giblin and Sheriff's Office deputies on a roving patrol on a two-lane road that's frequently used by smugglers to shuttle illegal immigrants to California and Nevada. Listen to Betty Mar's account of a robbery at her Guadalupe store. Or visit the East Valley Tribune's Web site to read the original reporting from their "Reasonable Doubt" series, find more multimedia features, and learn more how the paper is faring after layoffs cut their staff by over 40% and they were forced to move to a 4-day a-week print schedule.