America's toughest sheriff, Joe Arpaio, says he will appeal Friday's federal court ruling that overruled his department's methods of going after suspected illegal immigrants.
"One hundred of my deputies were authorized and trained by the federal government, ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], to enforce federal immigration law," Arpaio said in a statement broadcast by
CBS 5 TV in Phoenix.
"Now, a federal court has ruled that federal training was unconstitutional, and it led to racial profiling. We will appeal this ruling."
Arpaio's office in Arizona's Maricopa County arrested and detained thousands of illegal immigrants during a three-year period, according to CBS 5.
Some of that will stop while his appeal is pending, Arpaio said. "You know, as sheriff I uphold the law," he said.
"The court's order is clear. We will no longer detain persons believed to be in the country without authorization whom we cannot arrest on state charges. I have already instructed my deputies."
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