Maricopa County Series: The Battle for Wells Fargo

There's a battle taking place in Maricopa County, Arizona: the fourth largest county in the nation, and home to some of the fastest-growing cities in the US – all in the middle of a desert. The conflict taking place is between long-time Sheriff Joe Arpaio and locals who say his deputies are terrorizing their community. Sheriff Arpaio first made headlines some years ago, when he clad the county's male prisoners in pink underwear, housed them in outdoor tents in 120 degree heat and served them surplus food, including green bologna. Now, his critics say that he's extended his tactics to humiliate and dehumanize the county's Latino population. Arpaio, who calls himself "America's Toughest Sheriff", has implemented some controversial local law enforcement methods – some of which resulted in deportations. People there say they've been harassed because of the color of their skin, and are often scared to leave their homes regardless of their immigration status, fearing they'll be caught up and questioned in one of the Sheriff's massive dragnets. While Arpaio defends his department's actions and says he's simply enforcing immigration law, others say his department is using racial profiling to create a human rights crisis. FSRN's Aura Bogado reports.

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