Guadalupe finds itself at center of immigration debate

The fight between Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is heating up.

Tonight some of the sheriff's men are telling the mayor to butt out of their efforts to protect and serve. Those men say the mayor is misinformed and out of line so they sent him a letter signed by 15 deputies.

The letter is filled with crime statistics from the small town of Guadalupe located in the middle of the Valley and now at the center of the immigration debate.

Slyvia Jimenez says she moved to Guadalupe a few weeks ago hoping to find her slice of the American dream. That week the sheriff's crime sweep came to Guadalupe where deputies met protestors and made arrests, both legal and illegal residents.

That is when Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon got really vocal, calling the crime sweeps racial profiling and requesting a federal investigation.

Never one to stand by in silence the sheriff and some of his top guns fired back calling Guadalupe a violent area.

Sylvia admits that with her brown skin, she feels targeted and would not mind someone else protecting her town.

The mayor sent out a statement late today responding to the sheriff and his men. He claims their letter is filled with factual errors and that they are engaged in political attacks, which for deputies and commanders, is entirely inappropriate.

The sheriff says the crime sweeps will continue in the East Valley and mentioned Mesa and Chandler by name.
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Keep up the good work Sheriff Joe!!!