Posted on 02/06/2009 8:54:52 AM PST by AuntB
Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox has vowed to seek a federal investigation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's decision to segregate illegal immigrants in his Tent City Jail.
"It's a brand new Washington, and we're going to have to use the Justice Department to look into this abuse," Wilcox said after Arpaio moved about 200 convicted illegal immigrants from the Durango Jail to a fenced area at Tent City Wednesday afternoon.
"You don't have to make us the laughing stock of the United States by doing stunts like this, and you don't have to abuse people. And that's what everybody is feeling," Wilcox said in the latest of several clashes between her and the sheriff.
Arpaio was not fazed.
"I would highly recommend that she volunteer to spend some time in the tents before she starts yapping away," he said. "How about spending a couple of nights in the tents like I did? I slept in the tents with all these inmates."
Arpaio said he put the illegal immigrant inmates together in a separate area to make it easier for visits from officials of their home countries. He said illegal inmates from all foreign countries are in the area and it is not a racial issue.
Bill Strauss witht he Anti-Defamation League questioned that.
"If they're only under arrest for being in the country illegally, I don't know what special threat they represent that requires segregation," Strauss said.
He said black and Hispanic prisoners were segregated in several Arizona prisons about five years ago, but that action was based on gang affiliation and safety issues.
The inmates, dressed in pink underwear and prison stripes, walked as a chain gang to the tented area Wednesday afternoon.Many of them carried their belongings in plastic trash bags. Some tried to shield their faces from cameras while others complained the move was racist.
Approximately 50 protesters gathered near the Durango Jail before Arpaio handcuffed the inmates and marched them to their new headquarters at Tent City a few blocks away.
Former Arizona senator Alfredo Gutierrez said Arpaio's move is a shameless PR stunt.
"This sort of Roman Circus theatrics are unique to him. This is his perverse mind," he said.
One of the inmates, Omar Godinez, said they were first led to believe that they had the option of moving to Tent City if they wanted.
"Immigration went to our bunks and asked us if we wanted to come here," Godinez said. "I didn't sign for this at all. So, basically I'm here without my consent."
Arpaio said the illegal immigrants will be held together at Tent City while awaiting legal proceedings, until their sentences are served or until they can be deported to their home countries.
Tent City opened in August 1993.
Arpaio said the illegal immigrants will be treated like all other inmates at Tent City, except he wants them to be instructed about American immigration laws. He also said that those who violate jail rules may end up on chain gangs, cleaning up Valley areas which have been impacted by the human trafficking trade.
Illegal aliens in custody of the Sheriff's Office have ballooned in recent days. The sheriff's office said it has arrested 67 illegals -- 56 of whom face felony charges -- in the past 13 days. Thirty were arrested Wednesday night in three separate traffic stops during a 90-minute period near Interstate 17 and New River Road north of Phoenix.
MaryRose Wilcox (D) Maricopa County District 5 Supervisor 301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, Arizona 85003 (602) 506-7092 mrwilcox@mail.maricopa.gov
“”I would highly recommend that she volunteer to spend some time in the tents before she starts yapping away,” he said. “How about spending a couple of nights in the tents like I did? I slept in the tents with all these inmates.”
That strange sound you hear is Democrats across the country overreaching.
Mexico has Rosa Delia, AZ has Rose Wilcox - both commies cut from the same cloth.
They just don't make criminals like they once did.
It follows, by criminal Godinez's thought process, that he should get one "get out of jail free" card.
Unless he "consented" to be locked up.
I thought it was the meek who would inherit the earth, not stupid, but then what do I know?
just sent her an email on my disgust.
Your problem started when you came here without OUR consent. Stuff it.
Isn’t that an amazing statement? The arrogance and sense of entitlement of our ‘foreign visitors’ is over the top.
Good for Sheriff Joe! The only one with common sense enough to make it hard on illegals so they may not come back.
if the tents are good enough for americans, they are good enough for illegals
Yep. Just letting Mary to open her yap should suffice...
“if the tents are good enough for americans, they are good enough for illegals”
I heard Sheriff Joe interviewed the other day. He said if tents are good enough for our Military, they’re good enough for criminals.
Amen.
America is a laughing stock for not closing down the border and giving illegals so many government perks.
WTG, Sheriff Joe!
The tents are actually old US military tents. They sit on concrete pads. Inside each tent is a group of steel bunk beds with lockable drawers for the inmates’ property. Each tent used to have its own swamp cooler, but the inmates were taking pieces off of them to make weapons, so the swamp coolers were replaced with big fans. The tents have flaps on the sides and ends that can be raised to provide ventilation. There is a common “entertainment” tent where inmates can come and sit and watch TV.
After going into Tent City and into the jail buildings on searches, it seems to me that Tent City would be much nicer for an inmate. At least you can look up and see the sun and the sky. I can’t imagine being trapped inside of one of those jail cells for weeks or months at a time.
ping
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is my kinda Sheriff!
Yo, Omar...you'se a prsioner, Mijo. Youse gonna go where da' man takes ya.
Yes. That sort of thing can happen in jail, idiot.
L
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