PHOENIX (AP) — Four members of Congress have asked the Justice Department to conduct a civil rights investigation into immigration and crime sweeps conducted by an Arizona sheriff's office.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Friday that his deputies didn't use racial profiling during raids that began last year in the Phoenix area. About half of the arrests from the sweeps were illegal immigrants.
Some of Arpaio's officers can enforce immigration laws under a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreement.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also has been asked to review that deal by Democratic U.S. Reps. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan; Jerrold Nadler of New York; Zoe Lofgren of California and Robert Scott of Virginia.
