Immigrant rights advocates rally outside Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail

PHOENIX - Close to 150 protestors of Arizona's Immigration law known as SB1070 marched to the Maricopa County Jail in downtown Phoenix Saturday, chanting, "Aqui Estamos, No Los Vamos."

"We're already here and we're not leaving," they voiced over and over.

Salvador Reza, who organized the immigration rally, said the demonstration just wasn't in protest of SB1070, but to inform member's of the Hispanic community of their rights.

Under the new immigration law, if an officer asks for your identification and you don't have it, they have the right to ask for your legal status.

"You have to identify yourself and that is give your name and date of birth, that's all you have to do," said Reza,  "After that you can sit down and say I want to talk to my attorney before I talk to you. You have a right not to talk to an officer until there is an attorney present."

Immigration Attorneys were also on hand at the rally to answer questions about the law.

Many reminded everyone that even if they are taken to Immigration Customs Enforcement, they have a right to appeal their deportation and many may qualify for the Federal Government's deferred action program.

But still members of the community say they are living in fear.

"We go to school with the fear of our friends parents getting stopped or something, it's scary," said Clarissa Avalos, as she collected voter signatures to oust Sheriff Arpaio in the November election.

Reza said they targeted the Sheriff's Department's 4th Avenue jail because they feel Latinos are being racially profiled by Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Immigration operations.

Reza also said among the protestors were some of the first arrested under the immigration law, but that they were released because they had no criminal history.

According to the Associated Press, Sheriff spokesperson Officer Chris Hegstrom said that the rally did not disrupt jail operations.

The AP wrote that Hegstrom added that the sheriff was aware that similar protests have occurred over the years, but that "it doesn't  change the way we do business."

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio says we will continue to enforce the immigration law," Hegstrom told the AP.