PHOENIX -- Sheriff Joe Arpaio's crackdown on illegal immigration may have only just begun in the East Valley, with last week's patrols in the town of Guadalupe.

State lawmakers from the East Valley, led by Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, have sent the sheriff a letter inviting him to their district, and Arpaio said Mesa might be next on his list.

Arpaio said he is not bothered by accusations of racial profiling that have come from protesters of his special patrols at two Phoenix locations where day laborers gather and in Guadalupe.

"We got other enforcement that we are doing, not just illegal immigration," he said. "That's just a small part of our operation... We stop everybody. I'm an equal opportunity guy. I lock up everybody."

Arpaio said he was not surprised to learn that he has the backing of Matthew Allen, the newly-named head of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Arizona. Allen said Arpaio's sweeps do not violate his agreement with the feds.

"We know," the sheriff said. "We've been doing this for a year, this is our year anniversary. We know how to operate, regardless of all our critics."

One of those critics has been Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris, whom Arpaio has accused of dragging his feet on signing a new police policy that would allow Phoenix officers to call ICE when they encounter a criminal suspect who appears to be an illegal immigrant.

Asked about Arpaio's claims, Harris said, "My comment is there's just no comment."

Harris said the new procedures "have been finalized, and they will be due out within the next few weeks."

Arpaio responded, 'That's great. Then he'll be able to assist me more in enforcing the illegal immigration laws in the City of Phoenix."