The Grand Canyon State has been the main topic of discussion for a while. Governor Jan Brewer decried SB1070 which Obama has challenged as being unconstitutional. There still is no answer on the law that lets authorities check immigration status of anybody they come into contact with within the state. The Department of Justice decided to such Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County. This just heats up the battle between Arizona and the government. An investigation was being conducted on civil rights abuse. The Department of Justice says Joe Arpaio didn’t cooperate in this.
Sheriff Joe supposedly discriminated
The first investigation was launched on suspicion tactics employed by Sheriff Arpaio deliberately target Hispanics, irrespective of lawful status, in order to “sweep” illegal immigrants. The Los Angeles Times reports that Hispanic areas were targeted by the Maricopa County Sheriff deputies that stopped every person for anything. When there with the people, deputies had one job to complete. They were expected to check immigration status. This practice has been carried out since before the controversial Arizona immigration law was proposed. The Justice Department requested documentation on these sweeps from Sheriff Arpaio, which he was loathe to comply with. Federal investigators weren’t given the material requested. There weren’t even allowed to the building.
Lawsuits normal
The Maricopa Sheriff has had lawsuits before. He has been sued numerous times by families of inmates who have died in his jail, the notorious Tent City, which is really virtually a collection of tents within the desert surrounded by high fences with barbed wire at the top. There is also an ongoing investigation into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office including Sheriff Arpaio by the grand jury. This is happening, reports ABC as a result of corruption. The Justice Department made the first request for documents and other materials more than a year ago. All the documents about these sweeps were found by a federal judge to be ruined. The attorneys suing the Sheriff’s Office had each right to determine the documents.
Additional reading
ABC News
blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/09/justice-department-sues-arizona-sheriff-joe-arpaio.html
LA Times
latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lawsuit-arpaio-20100903,,2874529.story
