into doubt, by suspending the key provision of the law, the section that allows local police to question people they ve legally stopped about immigration status at all. critics feared that local police, regardless of training, could use any suspicious action to question immigration status. they re basically being required to enforce a law that labels a crime something that is not an action. if you re engaged in jay walking, that s an action. if you re engaged in running a stop sign, that s an action. being undocumented is not an action. it s a status. reporter: federal agents, border patrol customs but not local deputies or police already question people about status. usually when they catch them illegally crossing the border or while investigating a workplace. the arizona training manual suggested local deputies could go even further. some of the things that are listed under reasonable suspicion are not speaking
conduct, angry about the new arizona immigration bill and particularly angry at this man, who they feel is inhumane. doesn t make any difference with me. i m going to continue to do what i ve been doing. reporter: what maricopa county sheriff joe arpaio has been doing for years is try to determine if many of the people his department arrests are illegal immigrants and then shipping them to federal authorities for possible deportation. every day they re out in front of this building for two years, calling me nazi, hitler, every name in the book they have been doing against this sheriff. they can t make you stop one way, they have to throw the race card. that doesn t bother me. reporter: so why does arpaio have the right to ask people if they re illegal immigrants if that portion of the new law has not been allowed to take effect yet? it s a little-known fact that dozens of counties, including maricopa county, arizona, have a partnership with the federal government that has permi
used technologically, that could have been used for higher security ports of entry. it could have been used for personnel and diverted it. reporter: so why isn t there more wall? you might be surprised to learn there was never supposed to be more wall under this $2.5 billion plan. the border patrol, topography, sensors and virtual fences were supposed to be used to provide protection. in some cases it works, in others, it doesn t. another she have sheriff says that drug has beaten the system. you have a demand, they have a product. they re going to get that product to the market. reporter: this past may, one of sheriff s babeu s deputies was shot and wounded in this very same desert, 80 miles north of the border, the gunman never captured. this has basically been literally unfettered access by smugglers and illegals. reporter: the sheriff hopes the new law, combined with the new fence, makes his county safer, while others remain angry at the law and regard the fence
because kids in foster care don t need perfection. they need you. recent polling shows two-thirds arizonans approve of their new immigration law in its original form. hundreds came out to voice their opposition to the law and especially to maricopa county s sheriff joe arpaio. long before the law went into effect, he has been sending out his deputies on sweeps to arrest suspected criminals. most of which turn out to be illegal immigrants. which leads some critics to say that these are just raids on illegal immigrants. gary tuchman takes us up close. reporter: they re very mad. hundreds of demonstrators on the streets of phoenix, with people being arrested for disorderly conduct, angry about the new arizona immigration bill and particularly angry at this man,
a lot of money spent. but it s not what a lot of people expected. we ll take you along the border to see for yourself. also tonight, critics say this law would lead to racial profiling. you heard that from reverend sharpton. police say there are ways for to determine if someone is here illegally. there s a videotape used in training for police. so why am i still thinking about this? how are you? good, how are you? [ male announcer ] aleve. proven better on pain. hi. well, this is where it all starts at regions.