PHOENIX -- Hispanic leaders are calling for an immediate end to Sheriff Joe Arpaio's illegal immigrants' patrols, claiming they are dividing the community and could lead to violence.

"As a community, we see him going out setting up his troops and stopping people at random -- racial profiling," said Hector Yturralde, president of We Are America. "After they find out they can't speak English or they have no identification, then they stop them for immigration."

Yturralde added, "He is causing a division within this community that is not good. And that is not his job."

He said the sheriff is using his title to grandstand at taxpayers' expense.

In the past two weeks, Arpaio has conducted patrols at two Phoenix locations where day laborers gather, using some 200 deputies and posse members. Last week, more than 50 people were arrested in the area around Cave Creek and Bell Roads. More than a dozen were illegal immigrants. Arpaio has vowed to continue the operations.

Yturralde, Lydia Guzman with Respect Respecto and immigrants' activist and former state lawmaker Alfredo Gutierrez expressed concerns that Arpaio's patrols, which have drawn large groups of protesters, will end up in violence.

"We're seeing people come out of the shadows who are very angry because at some point they feel victimized," said Guzman. "And other people are coming out of maybe the other side of the shadows and saying we want something done."

Gutierrez said most "decent" people do not believe the sheriff's operations are accomplishing anything, except dividing the community.

"He chose to take this extraordinary provocative approach," Gutierrez said, adding that during last week's operation, "We were able to maintain control, but barely." He said more patrols could lead to formal resistance, i.e. civil disobedience on the streets of Phoenix.

"I think that will begin to occur at his next excursion, the next time he brings 200 or 300 people into a neighborhood to arrest people," Gutierrez said.

Guzman and Gutierrez said everyone believes that immigration reform is absolutely necessary, but it is the responsibility of Congress and the federal government.