Maricopa County, once a deportation powerhouse, reverses course over Dallas County lawsuit

Naomi Martin, Dianne Solis, Dallas Morning News, Feb. 20, 2017 - "A lawsuit filed by immigrants against Dallas County has prompted an about-face in Maricopa County, once known as a deportation powerhouse under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio's successor, Paul Penzone, a newly elected Democrat, has announced that he will no longer hold unauthorized immigrants in his jail for federal authorities after the arrestees would otherwise have been released. The Maricopa County attorney, Bill Montgomery, an elected Republican, said the change came because of "legal issues" that "may be best illustrated by the case of Mercado v. Dallas County, Texas." In that case, the news release said, a judge found that county officials without certain federal authority may not rely on a civil immigration detainer to jail someone beyond the time it reasonably takes to release that person."