Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's deputies on Saturday served search warrants on two Sizzler steak houses in Phoenix suspected of employing illegal immigrants.

According to a statement from Lt. Brian Lee, deputies arrested nine employees who they believe are using fraudulent identification to gain employment.

The Sizzlers targeted in the raid are located at 5060 W. Indian School Road and 10460 N. 28th Drive, the statement said.

Saturday's arrests followed a year-long investigation into a tip from a former manager who claims he was fired by the restaurant for being unwilling to hire employees without proper identification, Lee said.

The manager was reportedly offered three months severance for not going to law enforcement, Lee said. He said deputies were looking for 23 suspects wanted for identity theft, including one who has been deported three times and has been hired back by Sizzler each time upon his return.

Sheriff Arpaio said, "This is another example of a case where desperately needed jobs are being occupied by illegal aliens who have disregarded our laws and our borders."

The Sheriff's Office said a manager at the Indian School location was fined $1,000 by the federal government in the late 1980s for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

When asked about the raids, an employee answering the phone at the Sizzler location near the Metrocenter Mall said, "We're not interested in a (newspaper) subscription" and ended the call.