Pruitt’s is a furniture store in central Phoenix. In a time of big box, corporate owned monstrosities, Pruitt’s is a family owned place located in the center of town, rather than contributing to the suburban sprawl that makes the Valley what it is.

Day laborers, many of whom are illegal immigrants, have “hung out” in front of Pruitt’s for about a year now, ever since they were moved away from a nearby Home Depot store. Pruitt’s management asked the Phoenix police to help them move the day laborers away from their store because store managers thought they intimidated customers and took valuable parking space, but the police command chose not to. So Pruitt’s asked Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to move the day laborers.

Sheriff Joe, who has never met a camera he didn’t love or immigrant he didn’t want to deport, was only to happy to help out. He assigned his deputies to the store to move the day laborers away.

This pushed Pruitt’s into the immigration limelight. Now immigration rights’ activists and immigration opponents stand on opposite sides of the street to express their points of view. Deputies stand in the Pruitt’s parking lot, ready to arrest day laborers,  their lawyers or reporters for trespassing. Meanwhile, Phoenix police standby to make sure there is no violence between the sides and keep their eyes on deputies. Mariachis occasionally stop by to serenade the day laborers.

Like so many things connected to the immigration debate in Phoenix and the Sheriff, a certain air of surrealness envelopes the whole thing.

Who wins in this mess? The Sheriff certainly does. Immigrants rights’ leader do. Leaders of the anti-immigration movement win. They all get the publicity they crave. The one side that loses is Pruitt’s, thrust into a battle they didn’t seek.