'I'm the elected sheriff. I tell them what their priorities are.'
Posted on 06/19/2008 8:47:05 PM PDT by Coffee200am
Frustrated by a steady flow of illegal Mexican immigrants into Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has decided to take matters into his own hands.
He has drawn support and opposition in equal measure for his treatment of prisoners, which includes re-introducing chain gangs and making prisoners wear pink underwear.
Now he's under fire for dispatching teams of sheriff's deputies into Hispanic communities where they stop people and arrest anyone who cannot prove he or she is a legal U.S. resident.
It has brought an onslaught of criticism from Hispanic activists, local lawmakers and the Phoenix mayor, who call his crackdown on immigrants a clear case of racial profiling in which only people who look Hispanic are targeted.
But Sheriff Joe in unmoved.
'What right does a mayor or a police chief, or anyone like that, have to tell me what my priorities are?' Arpaio said.
'I'm the elected sheriff. I tell them what their priorities are.'
But Mary Rose Wilcox, a county supervisor and longtime Hispanic activist said: 'All he is doing is going after everybody with a brown face.'
'There's no doubt in my mind that this is racial profiling. None.'
Across the country, state and local officials have taken steps to curb illegal immigration. More than 240 immigration-related measures were passed last year.
Arpaio says he has received an outpouring of support for his effort in the form of letters and donations of about $25,000 from the public to help fund the initiative.
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said the sheriff's 'made-for-TV stunts' have not stopped illegal immigration and violate the basic civil rights afforded all people in the United States.
'It's a single standard,' Gordon said. 'If you're brown, you're going to be pulled over, and if you're white, you're not. It's as simple as that.' sheriff
Tough regime: One Sheriff Arpai's infamous chain gangs
Under the U.S. Constitution, all citizens must be treated equally under the law and the government cannot conduct unreasonable searches and seizures without probable cause.
In April, Gordon sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General calling for an investigation into Arpaio's patrols.
U.S. Justice Department officials are 'monitoring the situation', department spokeswoman Jamie Hais said. She declined to be more specific.
Immigration, specifically what do about 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, is a divisive issue, but it has largely dropped out of the political debate this election year.
A bid to push a comprehensive immigration overhaul through Congress was nixed by Republican lawmakers last year and the issue is barely mentioned by Republican presidential candidate John McCain or Democratic rival Barack Obama, who both supported the U.S. Senate bill.
In the absence of federal action, states and localities are beginning to take action. Despite criticism, Arpaio has vowed to continue his patrols and other measures designed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
'They just don't want me enforcing the illegal immigration laws. They think they can intimidate me. They can't,' said Arpaio, a Republican, who is running for re-election in November.
Gordon said Arpaio should spend his time and limited resources pursuing other more serious criminals like drug and human traffickers, and violent criminals.
The mayor said Arpaio's tactics have not reduced crime in the region or curbed illegal immigration. Instead, Gordon says the sheriff has soured community relations and sparked fear among Hispanic citizens and immigrants.
'His Band-Aid publicity stunts aren't going to solve illegal immigration,' he said. 'It doesn't do anything to stop the flow. All it does is make for good TV.'
I had to shorten the title...it was 18 million words long....
If you’re brown, you’re going to be pulled over, and if you’re white, you’re not. It’s as simple as that.
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GUTS! Clone him immediately!
Kudos to sheriff Joe for a job well done. Top notch !
‘It doesn’t do anything to stop the flow. All it does is make for good TV.’
I haven’t seen it on TV, but then I don’t watch TV. My belief is that if it were on TV, I’d watch TV.
Any facts that back up that claim?
Darn right it is... and about time. Got to love Joe.
Appoint Sheriff Joe head of ICE.
Absolutely. To the Mayor, perhaps Sheriff Joe’s campaign hasn’t “worked” because he is the only one doing anything about the crime problem? If the city is crime ridden, shouldn’t the police and the Mayor be helping, instead of just running their mouths?
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"Unreasonable" and "Probable" are subjective terms.
What if you are a citizen and detained? Do you have any recourse?
Well, considering I have a drivers license, Social Security Card, a copy of my Birth Certificate, and my CDL Medical Examiner's Certification in my wallet, coupled with only being able to count to 39 in Spanish, I should not be detained because I have proven my citizenship, thus I would not need any recourse either.
Yes, the county, not “nickel bag” Joe will probably be sued and fork out a few more million dollars to support groups like La Raza. The money will really come out of our pockets. Thats cool though cuz Joe entertains us with his bravado. On a side note: I always thought a “dime bag” was the smallest arrest a dope cop could make.
Isn't that EXACTLY what Arpaio is doing?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Pink BVDs....
Waterboarding....
Pink BVDs..
Waterboarding...
Yeppers...
Them there illegal aliens are being TORTURED by that mean ol’ sheriff..
Damn, before you know it, our school systems might have to lay off some "administrators".......might have to cut back on their "ethnic studies" programs.....might have to teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic instead....pain and agony, pain and agony.....
That opens up another sticky situation. There are lots of OTMs and snowbacks that are in this country illegally too. Judging by race seems like it’s a good way to judge who’s in the country illegally but it’s not going to work because there are too many OTMs and snowbacks in this country that will pass through without notice.
But I do admire his hard work in getting rid of these invaders.
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