PRESCOTT (NAZ Today)– The Sheriff of Yavapai County has issued his statement on today’s SB 1070 ruling in district court.
Below is Sheriff Steve Waugh’s statement regarding US District Court Judge Susan Bolton’s ruling on Senate Bill 1070.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office will support and defend the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Arizona. We are also committed to implementing the provisions of SB 1070 in a manner that respects the rights and privileges granted persons under the United States and Arizona Constitutions, and that is also consistent with Federal immigration law.
SB 1070 states that certified personnel must establish a persons immigration status if practicable during a lawful stop, detention or arrest, and ONLY when reasonable suspicion exists to believe the person is both and alien and unlawfully present in the United States. This new provision does not significantly change the way the Sheriff’s Office has handled immigration issues in the past several years.
Since 2006 the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office has been working with Federal immigration authorities and for the past 3 years as part of the 287g program. Since that time specially trained Sheriff’s Deputies and Detention Officers have exercised authority from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to determine a person’s immigration status. Currently, all suspects booked into the Yavapai County Detention Center are screened to determine immigration status.
Under the 287g program The Sheriff’s Office has detained and turned over to ICE for ultimate deportation approximately 3000 illegal aliens. The Sheriff’s Office always adheres to its long-standing policy of enforcing the law without regard to race, color or national origin. Consistent with this policy as well as Arizona POST guidelines and federal and state law, Sheriff Waugh has reemphasized his long-standing directive that deputies and officers within the Sheriff’s Office must fairly and impartially enforce 1070.
Additionally, new Sheriff’s Office polices are being developed to assist deputies in deciding when the new law requires that immigration status be determined, and under what circumstances determination of immigration status is practical given available resources and the demand for Sheriff’s Office services at that moment. Policies are also under development that will assist deputies in determining under what circumstances determination of immigration status would hinder or obstruct ongoing investigations. Finally, the Sheriff has offered assistance to any law enforcement agency that requests help regarding the enforcement of SB 1070.
