AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio wants more illegal immigrants for his ‘tent city’ jail

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has a solution for the US government, which says it must release certain illegal immigrants being held in detention facilities – send them to his 'tent city' jail.

The outspoken immigration foe says he would house the prisoners at no charge at his controversial jail in the desert where inmates sleep in tents and wear pink underwear, reports POLITICO.

“I’ll take them. I have room in my tents. I would be happy to have them – and I wouldn’t even charge them. I would love to take them in the tents,” Arpaio told POLITICO

Ahead of the sequester, Immigration and Customs Enforcement released several hundred undocumented immigrants who were being held in detention centers on Monday.

The department said it can no longer afford to house all of the more than 30,000 inmates currently being held if the $85 billion in budget cuts takes effect on March 1 as expected, reports The Hill.

Sheriff Arpaio is joining several prominent Republicans who say the move is just meant to scare the public and not due to the upcoming sequester.

"I am always suspicious when the government that has billions of dollars has to say, 'We are going to release [illegal immigrants] because of budget problems.' I'm wary of that," he said, according to the Huffington Post.

"They're utilizing a budget so-called crisis as the reason to kick these people loose. I do have a concern about that."