Thread: Why is Obama Admin. Suing an Outspoken Arizona Sheriff?

The Christian Science Monitor

Joe Arpaio: Why is Obama administration suing an outspoken Arizona sheriff?

The Justice Department said Thursday that Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is not cooperating in an investigation into whether his department has used racial profiling in sweeps to catch illegal immigrants.

By Lourdes Medrano, Staff writer
posted September 2, 2010 at 5:38 pm EDT

Tucson, Ariz. —

The United States Justice Department is filing an "unprecedented" lawsuit against Joe Arpaio, the controversial sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County.

In announcing the legal action Thursday, a Justice Department official said that Sheriff Arpaio is refusing to cooperate with a federal investigation into allegations of discrimination and illegal searches and seizures by the department.

The Justice Department said it has been seeking documents relating to its civil-rights probe for 15 months and turned to a lawsuit only as a last resort, adding that this was the first time in 30 years that a police department had not cooperated with a civil-rights investigation.

"The actions of the sheriff's office are unprecedented," said Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the civil-rights division, in a statement.

Arpaio told the Arizona Republic that he thought the lawsuit was "camouflage" for a federal attempt to curtail his anti-illegal immigration sweeps in mostly Latino communities. He also said he had begun cooperating with federal authorities and thought they were making headway toward a solution.

Arpaio and the Obama administration have repeatedly clashed over immigration policy.

A longtime lawman with a penchant for theatrics, Arpaio has been a central figure in the federal government’s practice of enlisting local and state police to enforce certain aspects of immigration law – a program called 287(g).

The program is seen as one of the inspirations for SB 1070, the controversial Arizona immigration law that was signed into law this year but which is now tied up in a court battle. As such, both 287(g) and Arpaio – its most zealous practitioner – have become lightning rods.

A $1 million bounty?

Arpaio’s crackdowns on illegal immigrants are well known on both sides of the US-Mexico border, to the point that his office says he has been sent a death threat by a Mexican drug cartel recently, although the origin of the $1 million bounty on the sheriff’s head is unconfirmed.

It isn’t the first time Arpaio is threatened. “He’s a controversial figure, he’s an outspoken person,â€

joe is doing one hell of job obama not doing any thing to help Az at all as said befor they mess our Country & we want our Country back
good Luck Gov Jan Brewer Joe & ALi_PAC for all your help

says Chris Newman, legal counsel for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

Chris Newman A.K.A. councel for illegals?

Originally Posted by Cliffdid

says Chris Newman, legal counsel for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

Chris Newman A.K.A. councel for illegals?

Letter to Chris Newman, Take your network to Mexico.
Have your day laborers start with water and sewer.
We don't want you. We don't want or need Illegal alien labor.
Your done here. You and your illegal aliens have diminished American
workers wages and overwhelmed our social services, overburdened our hospitals and schools. Do something positive for Mexico and Mexicans.
Americans have had enough of you and your kind.