Thread: How Thomas, Arpaio changed "migrant" debate

How Thomas, Arpaio changed migrant debate

Jul. 8, 2008 12:00 AM
No politicians hold more news conferences or stage more publicity stunts than Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Their critics (including me) can be dismissive about their motives, chalking one up to ambition and the other to vanity. But that's too easy, too cheap and not entirely accurate.

In the past couple of months, the heads of two local law-enforcement agencies held news conferences to announce policy changes concerning how their officers would treat suspected illegal immigrants.

In each instance, the names of Thomas and Arpaio were scrupulously avoided. But their presence was felt. And it's a good bet that the changes would not have been made without the public approval of policies instituted by the county attorney and sheriff.

Like it or not. Admit it or not. Believe it or not. Thomas and Arpaio have changed our Valley, our state, maybe even our country.

Recent evidence came just last week, when Mesa Police Chief George Gascón announced that adults who are arrested by his officers would be asked their immigration status and federal authorities would be contacted if the arrestees were suspected of being in the country illegally.

Gascón has been a vocal critic of Arpaio's tactics, particularly his immigrations sweeps, saying, "We have seen it over and over again, I think, without getting into a particular agency's names. We have seen cases very recently for U.S. citizens (who) have been detained and processed and then the facts have surfaced that that individual was not here illegally, or that they have the right to be here."

Still, Mesa's policy was changed, and I suspect there would have been no shift without Arpaio's sweeps. Just as there may not have been a change in Phoenix, which adopted a policy similar to Mesa's back in May.

Police Chief Jack Harris announced the changes to a policy that prevented Phoenix officers from asking about a person's citizenship status.

He said, "It provides Phoenix officers with additional tools to aid them in the performance of their job and will further enhance criminal-investigative efforts attributed to illegal immigration in this city."

Mayor Phil Gordon, another outspoken critic of Arpaio, said of the change, "It doesn't come without a price."

Still, he went along with it. He had no choice.

Before Thomas and Arpaio, illegal immigration was treated by law enforcement with the same lack of interest as arcane laws about cohabitation. Then Thomas ran for county attorney on the seemingly bizarre slogan of "Stop illegal immigration." Immigration was thought to be a federal problem that county prosecutors didn't have anything to do with. He changed that.

Not long after Thomas' election, Arpaio's deputies arrested an Army reservist from Michigan named Patrick Haab for holding a group of suspected illegal immigrants at gunpoint.

"You don't go around pulling guns on people," Arpaio said at the time. "Being illegal is not a serious crime."

The public sided with Haab, however. Then, Thomas declined to prosecute. Before long, Arpaio made a U-turn, becoming the anti-illegal immigration crusader that he is today.

Recently, the use of local law police to enforce immigration law has exploded nationwide.

We don't like to give credit to people with whom we disagree, particularly if we don't trust their motives. But while Thomas and Arpaio continue to spend much of their time on self-promotion, they've effected change.

Big change.

We can question their politics and their tactics. But we can't question their results.
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We love ya Joe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!