Thread: Panel: Stop Arpaio from immigration enforcement

Complaints loom over contract
Panel: Stop Arpaio from immigration enforcement

by Daniel González - Dec. 27, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A state civil-rights panel is recommending that, because of racial-profiling complaints, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors end a contract with the federal government that allows the county Sheriff's Office to enforce immigrations laws.

The Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board also is asking federal officials in Washington, D.C., to investigate the Sheriff's Office for possible civil-rights violations during the enforcement of immigration laws. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon made a similar request earlier this year.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio maintains that his office's enforcement of immigration laws is both legal and effective. He dismissed the panel's recommendations as only the latest attempt by critics to prevent him from enforcing the laws.

"They are trying to intimidate me from doing my job. I think I am doing a fantastic job," Arpaio said, citing the thousands of illegal immigrants his office has turned over to federal immigration officials.

Arpaio called the timing of the letters "suspicious" in light of President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Gov. Janet Napolitano to head the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement. The civil-rights panel is made up of volunteers appointed by the governor.

This week, the seven-member panel sent letters to the Board of Supervisors and top Homeland Security officials, saying that people at public forums over the past year had expressed "serious concerns as to the policies and practices" of Arpaio's immigration enforcement. The panel - chaired by Jason Martinez, an Estrella Mountain Community College counselor - hosted the forums in Phoenix, Tucson and Mesa.

The panel also cited several lawsuits accusing the Sheriff's Office of civil-rights violations during a series of immigration sweeps, as well as a December report by the conservative Goldwater Institute that criticizes Arpaio's enforcement of immigration laws. The report called his approach ineffective and said it diverted resources away from basic law enforcement, hurting public safety.

"Is our continued participation in this (contract) in the best interest of our county?" the panel asked in a letter addressed to Andrew W. Kunasek, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. "We believe the answer is no."

In February 2007, the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Sheriff's Office that allowed 160 deputies and jail officials to receive training to enforce federal immigration laws. Under the agreement, Sheriff's deputies have arrested more than 1,455 suspected illegal immigrants, while jail officials have placed immigration holds on more than 19,808 people booked into jail on crimes.

Kunasek could not be reached for comment.

Jim Bloom, Kunasek's chief of staff, said the board looks "forward to the results of the requested investigation by federal authorities."

He said the panel's request asking the board to end the contract would be forwarded to the county manager for review.

The panel, part of the civil-rights division of the state Attorney General's Office, defends against discrimination but has no enforcement powers.

Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8312.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... s1227.html

"Is our continued participation in this (contract) in the best interest of our county?" the panel asked in a letter addressed to Andrew W. Kunasek, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. "We believe the answer is no."

In February 2007, the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Sheriff's Office that allowed 160 deputies and jail officials to receive training to enforce federal immigration laws. Under the agreement, Sheriff's deputies have arrested more than 1,455 suspected illegal immigrants, while jail officials have placed immigration holds on more than 19,808 people booked into jail on crimes.

By all means, if a program is working, let's get rid of it. We can't have our laws being enforced, now can we?

The panel also cited several lawsuits accusing the Sheriff's Office of civil-rights violations

Illegal have NO Rights!

Thanks for doing the job that the rest of our country is NOT DOING!!

Sheriff Joe is the man. He enforces the laws of the USA, unlike some others. We need law enforcement at the border also. Maybe Sheriff Joe can have a tent city at the border? Make all these illegals pick up the trash they bring over.

Sheriff Joe does the work the American government wont do.

Sheriff Joe for President 2012!!!

It is time someone shut these groups up who are interfering and aiding and abetting illegal immigrants...what they are doing is against the law!

Someone needs to ask these groups out side of amnesty or a pathway to legalization just HOW the hell do you suggest the laws be enforced? How do we remove illegal aliens from this country? you seem to stop all avenues of law enforcement, Just what is your answer to getting the law enforced?

Because we will not stop short of enforceing the laws after 22 years of neglect!

taxpayers are fed up with illegals taking our jobs, we are fedup with educating their children and paying for their medical....we are extremely fedup with our families dying at the hands of people who are not suppose to be here!

This is another clear example of why we must ever agree to any form of "pathway" amnesty tied in concurrently with promises of enforcement, for as soon as the open border types received their amnesty, they would stall and litigate any enforcement into oblivion.

The answer remains: enforce existing immigration laws and NO form of any amnesty. As history has proven: amnesties do not work.

The panel, part of the civil-rights division of the state Attorney General's Office, defends against discrimination but has no enforcement powers.




Nowadays, it is the American citizen who is discriminated against......

This week, the seven-member panel sent letters to the Board of Supervisors and top Homeland Security officials, saying that people at public forums over the past year had expressed "serious concerns as to the policies and practices" of Arpaio's immigration enforcement.

Well, this is just a small % of the people (likely with a pro-amnesty, anti-enforcement agenda), as the people in MC just re-elected Arpaio by a wide margin. And as far as lawsuits against him, law enforcement officials are sued all the time, no big deal here. Finally, the Goldwater Institute has an agenda of open borders, so I give little credence to their complaints.

This panel needs to crawl back under their rock and leave superjoe alone.