By JACQUES BILLEAUD, ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP) PHOENIX — If you're running for president, how do you convince supporters you are tough enough on immigration? Get the endorsement of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America whose uncompromising stand on illegal immigration is a point of pride.
On Wednesday Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann was the latest Republican presidential candidate hoping for Arpaio's backing. She met in Phoenix with the Republican sheriff, whose endorsement is frequently sought by candidates in all types of races across the country.
Arpaio said he hasn't yet decided which candidate he will back in the GOP primary race.
Bachmann, who was in Arizona for campaign fundraisers, focused almost entirely on immigration during the three minutes she talked to reporters. She then went into a private meeting with Arpaio.
"As president of the United States, I want to solve the border issue," Bachmann said, noting that the nation's immigration problems extend beyond the southern border states. "I want to build the fence that needs to be built and I want to solve this problem."
She said she would also eliminate inducements for illegal immigration into the U.S.
Bachmann wouldn't say whether she supports Arizona's tough immigration enforcement law. A federal judge put the most controversial elements of the law on hold after the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate it.
"I know that as president of the United States, I would not be suing the state of Arizona," Bachmann said. "I would be fulfilling the commitment that the federal government needs to fulfill, and that is to secure our borders."
Arpaio's campaign manager, Chad Willems, said Bachmann has called the sheriff several times, but she isn't the only presidential hopeful to do so. Mitt Romney and Rick Perry have made calls of their own.
"They're all calling him," Willems said, adding that Arpaio will take his time to decide on an endorsement. "They're all in a hurry, of course."
In the 2008 primary race. the sheriff endorsed Romney over home-state candidate John McCain. Romney came in second, behind McCain, who won the state's 2008 primary.
Arpaio, a proven favorite of voters in the county that includes Phoenix, is well-known for his office's crackdown on illegal immigration, which has included conducting numerous raids on workplaces.
However, unrelated, failed investigations targeting county officials and judges were conducted by Arpaio's office and are now under scrutiny for ethics violations.
Bachmann wasn't the only candidate talking immigration with Arizona voters. In Tucson on Wednesday, a crowd of business owners frustrated by the red tape required to bring in highly educated workers asked Bachmann's rival, Mitt Romney, how he would approach legal immigration.
Romney said he would give first priority to foreign workers with graduate degrees. "I want people coming into the country with skills and experience, speaking English, with degrees and contributing to our culture and the capacity of our nation," Romney said, adding that legal immigrants often start their own businesses.
He said he doesn't want the uneducated or unskilled coming across the border or overstaying their visas, expecting the United States to provide them with education and health care. Later, though, he noted that people from other countries come to the United States looking for opportunities for their families. "They don't come here for handouts," he said.
Later Wednesday Romney told an audience in Sun Lakes, Ariz., that he'd build a border fence and impose heavy sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants.
"Let's protect legal immigration and make it work for America and the families that come here legally," he told an audience in Sun Lakes, Ariz.
"I will stop illegal immigration," Romney promised, adding later, "It's time to do it."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.