Call for investigation against Arpaio
By Mary AllanReporter, The VOICE
In Arizona and the country, many people are applauding the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's call to investigate civil rights complaints against Arizona's Sherriff Joe Arpaio's "immigration sweeps".
On Feb. 6, U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. and four leading Democrats, called on Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to look into allegations of racial profiling by Arizona's Arpaio.
The letter stated "Arpaio has evinced a blatant disregard of the rights of Hispanic residents of the Phoenix area."
With a typical "in your face" attitude Arpaio is quoted as saying in an East Valley Tribune article, "I'm not concerned about it," the sheriff said. "We're going to continue enforcing the law and nothing changes. If they have any problems, call the FBI."
Recently the Sherriff invited the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to tour Maricopa County facilities and go on patrol with the Human Smuggling Unit. To date there has been no response from Conyers.
The truth about the investigation, however, is that former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, not Conyers, who was the one that got the ball rolling. The letter comes on the heels of a memo the Homeland Security Secretary sent to her department instructing them to perform a thorough review of immigration enforcement and border security. Napolitano is not being thrust into this issue with Arpaio, she opened the door.
Once allies, Arpaio and the governor's relationship started to go south when Napolitano decided to appropriate $1.6 million from the Sheriffs immigration sweeps and funneled it into creating a special police detail to find felons with outstanding warrants. Arpaio called the move "despicable."
Arpaio has been criticized because, allegedly, his officers have based some traffic stops on people who were "driving while brown", with no apparent reason to be pulled over except that they were Latino and to inquire about their immigration status.
Somos America, a Latino community-based coalition, and five individuals sued Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) and Maricopa County, in July 2008. They claimed that they and their members were unlawfully stopped and mistreated by law enforcement agents because they were Latino.
The Sheriff asked that the lawsuit be dropped, but on Feb. 11, a federal court ruled that the class action lawsuit could proceed.
Please send comments to mcallan@gccvoice.com
