Supervisors ratify Sept. 17 vote

GUADALUPE -- The Maricopa County Supervisors will meet Monday to re-vote on whether Sheriff Joe Arpaio may end his office's contract with the town of Guadalupe.

Arpaio said he wanted to end the contract after criticism from Guadalupe's former mayor about his controversial crime sweeps.

The board had approved termination of the contract earlier this month, but the decision was repealed because the meeting was not open to the public.

Town officials have also filed a lawsuit to prevent the sheriff's office from ending the contract early.

Guadalupe officials discuss legal action against Sheriff Joe

GUADALUPE – There were a lot of uneasy residents Saturday night as an emergency meeting was held in Guadalupe.

The town council got together to talk about taking legal action against Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa County. This all stems from those controversial crime sweeps The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office conducted in Guadalupe and around the Valley this spring and summer when deputies would patrol the area for driving violations and check the citizenship status of those they pulled over.

Many considered the crime sweeps in the predominantly-Hispanic community racial profiling.

Among the sheriff's harshest critics is former Guadalupe mayor Rebecca Jimenez, who is now a council member. Her criticism contributed to Sheriff Arpaio canceling the county's contract to provide law enforcement protection for Guadalupe. Now the town is asking a judge to stop the sheriff's office from pulling out of Guadalupe. Town attorneys say the sheriff violated free speech rights and the mayor should be allowed to say whatever she wants about the sheriff without him retaliating and canceling their law enforcement contract.

The council met Saturday with attorneys but their conversations took place behind closed doors. People who showed up are concerned that as of right now, come March when MCSO is scheduled to pull out, the town will not have anyone to keep order and Guadalupe officials are hoping a judge will step in and keep sheriffs deputies from leaving their town.

No response to the possible legal action from the sheriff's office but Arpaio has said it is still not too late to work out a deal between the two sides.  However, he will continue immigration sweeps regardless.