Illegal Immigrants Infest Sanctuary City With Crime

The number of serious crimes committed by illegal immigrants is steadily rising in one border-state city that for years has provided sanctuary to those living in the U.S. illegally.

The prosecutor in Arizona’s Maricopa County revealed this week that illegal aliens are generating unprecedented crime numbers in his jurisdiction, which includes the notorious illegal immigrant sanctuary city of Phoenix where police is forbidden from inquiring about a suspect’s immigration status.

Illegal immigrants account for one-third of drug convictions, 85% of criminal impersonation or fake ID convictions, 44% of forgery convictions and 20% percent of felony DUI convictions in the Phoenix area. Nearly 20% of all convicted criminals in Maricopa County are illegal aliens and 21% of jail inmates are in the country illegally.

Statewide, Arizona has about 600,000 illegal immigrants and they account for 10% of sex crimes, 11% of murders and 13% of stolen cars, according to state sentencing and jail statistics. Officials estimate that each violent crime costs taxpayers about $20,000 and each property crime about $4,000.

Phoenix has an especially high concentration of illegal immigrants because the city provides them a sanctuary, although the mayor (Phil Gordon) reluctantly reversed the longtime policy earlier this year under pressure from Judicial Watch. Unofficially, the don’t-ask-don’t-tell measure is probably still alive.

In fact, Mayor Gordon continues to advocate on behalf of illegal immigrants by fighting measures to arrest and deport them. He has repeatedly accused Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio of violating the civil rights of illegal aliens during arrests and has ordered the FBI to investigate the sheriff.

In an April letter to the U.S. Attorney, Gordon asked the Department of Justice to investigate “discriminatory harassment” and “improper” stops, searches and arrests by Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies who patrol the metropolitan area. While the mayor tries to get the feds to protect the illegal immigrants, they infest his city with violent crimes.