Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 Biden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security MORE's wife, Jane Sanders, is facing heat for an impromptu meeting she had with Joe Arpaio, the controversial sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz.

Jane Sanders was touring the outside of Arpaio's "tent city" jail in Phoenix with immigration activists when the sheriff came and spoke with her briefly.

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"When Jane Sanders visited Joe Arpaio's inhumane detention center, the Sanders campaign had a chance to tell Arpaio to his face that he was wrong and that he needed to resign — as many of us have said for years. Instead, they heard him out, thanked him for his 'hospitality' and, contrary to their claims, made their criticisms through a press release and a series of tweets," Gutiérrez told Bloomberg

The Sanders campaign had a different take on the meeting, saying in a statement that she "used the opportunity to question Arpaio about racial profiling and his use of civilians to detain people who are undocumented.

"She questioned the inhumane treatment of prisoners who have to live outside under temperatures that can reach over 130 degrees, a charge he did not deny, saying they were prisoners. He bragged about removing meat from all their meals and having chain gangs."

In the statement, Jane Sanders had some harsh criticism for Arpaio.

“What I saw and heard firsthand today by visiting with the families and seeing tent city was very disturbing,” Sanders said. “Sheriff Arpaio did not even attempt to explain or excuse his inhumane treatment of people of color — not that he could. That kind of attitude toward our fellow human beings is completely unacceptable, especially in elected officials and those who would seek public office.”

Arpaio has endorsed Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.