Some Arizona law enforcement officials are making political hay out of the illegal immigration fray.

Thank goodness they live in Maricopa County and not in Pima County.

A Tucson episode that drew criticism from immigrant rights activists this week reminded me how lucky we are not to be subjected daily to the anti-illegal immigrant antics of full-time publicity hound/Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his partner in chest-thumping, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

To recap, the Tucson Police Department got caught up in a controversy early this week when it came to light that a family of illegal immigrants was detained by immigration authorities Nov. 1 after officers investigating a student for drug use called federal agents to Catalina High Magnet School. The student, his brother and mother voluntarily returned to Mexico, while his father was held for a formal deportation hearing.

Tucson Unified School District was not happy. Students protested.

And TPD, which had both supporters and critics of its officers’ actions, responded with speed and wisdom.

By Tuesday afternoon, TPD announced that though the officers at Catalina acted within policy, TPD would no longer call immigration authorities to schools or churches. TUSD didn’t want them coming onto its campuses and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policy is to not initiate investigations at schools and churches.

Those are places where people should feel safe.

TPD will continue, as it has for decades, to alert federal authorities to suspected illegal immigrants it comes across while investigating crimes, said Assistant Chief Roberto Villaseñor.

“Obviously because of the volatility of this situation, the notoriety these type of incidents are going to receive, we had to provide the direction for our officers to follow,” he said

Despite any criticism TPD received, the department’s response to the concerns was, in truth, characteristic of the restrained approach our local officials take in dealing with illegal immigration. And it is diametrically opposed to how they do things in Maricopa County, where illegal immigrants are all but being terrorized.

Arpaio, who is gleeful in his enforcement of immigration laws, began a crackdown 18 months ago. While he credits himself with disrupting smuggling operations and apprehending violent criminals, his deputies also have arrested dozens of day laborers and corn vendors who were here illegally.

Gee, I hope the people of Maricopa County sleep a little easier at night knowing they’re safe from a crazed, corncob-wielding illegal immigrant.

Arpaio’s tag-team partner, Thomas, has provided the legal stakes for Arpaio’s witch hunt with his broad interpretation of Arizona’s new human smuggling law. Thomas determined illegal immigrants being smuggled could be charged with felonies, along with their smugglers, as co-conspirators.

This controversial interpretation, which no other county follows, allows Arpaio to detain those immigrants in his jail on state charges. And he has, more than 600 of them.

In Pima County, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has steadfastly maintained that enforcing immigration law is a federal responsibility. But that doesn’t mean he’s shirking his responsibility to keep the public safe.

He established the Border Crime Unit earlier this year in response to serious border-related violence taking place in our backyard.

Dupnik has been criticized by pro-immigrant rights activists, but his unit isn’t about bringing in the Spanish-speaking gardener clipping hedges because he can’t produce papers proving he belongs here. It’s a serious effort to stop the real bad guys, the ones bringing in the pounds of pot or smuggling in the human cargo and brutally executing anyone who gets in their way.

In Maricopa, Thomas also seems to be foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the new employer sanctions law, which becomes effective in January. Unlike every other county attorney in the state, Thomas has said he will investigate anonymous tips concerning violations of the law if he believes them to have merit.

In Pima County, County Attorney Barbara LaWall led the way in creating the policy for investigating possible violations of the law that every county but Maricopa will follow. It requires any person making a complaint to do so in person, in writing and under oath.

Terrorizing illegal immigrants with local law enforcement resources is not the way to solve the nation’s most pressing domestic problem. Our officials here have been wise to recognize that.

Maybe they should have a chat with their counterparts in Maricopa.

Anne T. Denogean can be reached at 573-4582 and adenogean@tucsoncitizen.com. Address letters to P.O. Box 26767, Tucson, AZ 85726-6767. Her columns run Tuesdays and Fridays.

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