Thread: Congressional Hearing Targets Sheriff Arpaio's Tactics

Congressional hearing targets Sheriff Joe Arpaio's SB-1070 tactics

Posted: Jun 08, 2010 6:00 PM PDT Tuesday, June 8, 2010 9:00 PM ESTUpdated: Jun 08, 2010 6:00 PM PDT Tuesday, June 8, 2010 9:00 PM EST

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Congressional hearing targets Arpaio's tactics
3:20

Reported by: Steve Nunez

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Congressman Raul Grijalva will hold a congressional hearing on Thursday to show what he calls "abuses" in how Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio conducts illegal immigration sweeps. Arpaio is quick to admit he's been enforcing much of SB1070 for years. Grijalva says exposing Arpaio's tactics may force lawmakers to start talking about comprehensive immigration reform.

Congressman Grijalva told Nine On Your Side's Steve Nunez, "This is a situation that requires much more then platitudes. It requires much more then slogans. It requires much more then sound bites. This is complex. It's about human beings. And I think we need to start dealing with this issue as not just the political football to kick back and forth but the very lives we're affecting on a daily basis of millions upon millions of people living in this country."

One of those people is Silvia Rodriguez. Her parents brought her to Arizona when she was 2 years old. They came illegally from Mexico. Rodriguez is now 22. She graduated from ASU was recently accepted to attend Harvard grad school.

Rodriguez is now one of five witnesses invited by Grijalva to testify before a Congressional panel. Rodriguez hopes to put her face behind the immigration debate.

Nunez asked Rodriguez, "Why do you think congress or any congressional member should listen to your voice?" Rodriguez said, "Because I feel that I represent a huge part not only the people in Arizona but people across the U.S. Students that were young people that were brought here by their parents who find this country their home."

Rodriguez also belongs to a movement group known as PUENTE, or bridge. Rodriguez says PUENTE will also call on the Department of Justice to complete its 15-month long investigation on Arpaio.

The group will show video clips, captured by members, that aim to compare the difference in tactics used when Arpaio's deputies pull over Hispanics versus the tactics used when deputies pull over non-Hispanics.

One video clip shows a deputy who pulled over an Hispanic driver because the license plate light on his mini-truck was not working. The deputy forces the driver out of the truck and forces him to sit down on the ground. A drug sniffing K-9 is then brought in to search the truck for drugs. Once drugs are not found, the driver is then released.

This same video clip then shows a non-Hispanic driver who was also pulled over for a traffic violation. The video captures this driver sitting in his car talking on the cell phone.

Rodriguez, who lives in Phoenix, calls these tactics "injust" and "discriminatory." Rodriguez said, "I don't think necessarily we're asking for amnesty." Nunez then asked, "What are you asking for then?" Rodriguez responded, "We're asking for an opportunity to be able to live in this country without fear. To be able to contribute. To be able to get an education. To receive medical attention if we're dying and something is wrong with us. We're asking to be respected and to just be acknowledged as human beings."

Rodriguez hopes her testimony leads to immigration reform that includes a process, for people like her, to become U.S. Citizens. She says the current process would require her to be separated from her family and would require her to first go back to Mexico. Rodriguez says Mexico is a country she doesn't know.

Besides Grijalva, four other democrats will take part in the congressional hearing. Sheriff Arpaio will not be at the hearing.

http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12617664

the congressman versus the sheriff

This should make for some good quotes afterwards

This is absolutely appalling what my Congressman is doing. He doesn't represent me and he doesn't represent the U.S. From the first time he was elected, he has only represented illegal aliens or those wanting to become citizens. He puts on citizenship events just down the street from me.

This man WILL be re-elected this fall because he will never be challenged by another Democrat and he has a gerrymandered district that is overwhelmingly Democratic in registration and he is guaranteed at least a 70% to 30 % win if not better, so screaming about "vote him out" is worthless. Here is a more detailed story about his dog and pony show for Thursday in DC and all the sob stories.

Grijalva to host hearing on Arpaio, Ariz. immigration law
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., on Thursday will co-host a special hearing in Washington D.C. to take testimony from witnesses "whose lives have been disrupted by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and other anti-immigrant figures," according to a news release from his office. The event also will take a look at whether Arizona's new immigration law (A.K.A. Senate Bill 1070) will damage law-enforcement's relationship with the public.

Here are the five invited witnesses and their biographies as released Monday by Grijalva's office:

Catherine Figueroa is a young girl whose parents were arrested by Sheriff Arpaio’s deputies in a workplace raid. Her parents were detained for 3 months and she was left with relatives that faced tremendous financial difficulties. Last year, she appealed to President (Barack) Obama to end separation of families and continues to be the voice of children being affected by anti-migratory laws in Arizona.

Silvia Rodriguez is a young women that was left homeless when her family decided to move to another state due to the increasing anti-migratory laws in Arizona. At the time, Silvia was (an Arizona State University) student paying out-of-state tuition even though she has resided in Arizona since she was 2 years old. Since then she has graduated from ASU and has been accepted to Harvard for a Master’s Program in Art Education.

Celia Alejandra is a working mother of three children who was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies at her worksite. During the raid, her jaw was broken. She never received medical attention while in custody; now she requires continued medical treatment.

Alma Mendoza is a working mother, business owner and organizer for Puente, a grassroots movement initiated to address the abuses and violations in Maricopa County with the 287(g) program under Sheriff Arpaio and other anti-migratory laws in Arizona. As a former victim of domestic violence, she is concerned that SB 1070 will discourage women from reporting crimes to law enforcement officers.

Sylvia Herrera, Ph.D., is a researcher with Puente, which has collected videos and written testimonies of persons that have suffered civil and human rights violations in Arizona, including physical abuse. These documents were submitted to the Department of Justice over 18 months ago as part of an ongoing investigation of Sheriff Arpaio.

Grijalva will be joined at the hearing fellows Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.; Gwen Moore, D-Wis.; Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas; Jared Polis, D-Colo.; and Mike Quigley, D-Ill..

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/azdc/86182

Oh but where are the Mexican Nationals for this dog and pony show that raped a 92 year old women, or murdered a Mother by their drunk driving accident, or the list goes on and on of or....want to put cards on the table...show them all...but of course...politics as usual....by the way Ms. Rodriguez...ilegal alien grad of ASU....congrats on graduating but you are still illegalll..just be happy you recieved a quality free public education beyond 6th grade that you would have never recieved in Mexico...as far as for being left homeless...your parents did that to you not the USA....you chose to stay and be Quote-homeless...instead of reloacting with your illegal alien parents....by the way...just exactly where were you homeless at...I want to make sure we are on the same page as to what the definition of homeless is

Grijalva says exposing Arpaio's tactics may force lawmakers to start talking about comprehensive immigration reform.

No, had amnesty before, been there...done that...this should 'force lawmakers' to enforce our existing immigration laws....what a concept!