Hang in there Sheriff Joe Arpaio, We are with you!

[festus]

CNSNews.com
Justice Dept. Investigates Arizona Sheriff for Enforcing Immigration Law
Thursday, March 12, 2009
By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer

CNSNews.com - Justice Dept. Investigates Arizona Sheriff for Enforcing Immigration Law
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, left, orders approximately 200 convicted illegal immigrants handcuffed together and moved into a separate area of Tent City, inmates behind Arpaio, for incarceration until their sentences are served and they are deported to their home countries Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, in Phoenix.
(CNSNews.com) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona following requests by congressional Democrats and allegations by liberal activists that the department has violated the civil rights of illegal aliens.

Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), and Robert Scott (D-Va.) requested the investigation, and activists groups such as National Day Laborer Organizer Network and ACORN launched petition drives and rallies in support of the probe.

The investigation focuses on Sheriff Joe Arpaio and dozens of officers under his command who were trained through the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Agreements of Cooperation in Communities to Enhance Safety and Security (ACCESS), which partners federal and local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws. (The Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement division is known popularly as ICE.)

In a letter dated March 10, 2009, Loretta Smith, acting assistant attorney general at the DOJ, detailed what her department would be investigating:

"This is to inform you that the United States Department of Justice is commencing an investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (''MCSO'') pursuant to the pattern or practice provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,42 U.S.C. §14141 ("Section 14141") and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968,42 U.S.C. § 3789d ("Safe Streets Act"), and pursuant to the prohibitions against national origin discrimination in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-7 ("Title Yr') and the Safe Streets Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3789d(c)."

The letter continues: "The investigation will focus on alleged patterns or practices of discriminatory police practices and unconstitutional searches and seizures conducted by the MCSO, and on allegations of national origin discrimination, including failure to provide meaningful access to MCSO services for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals."

"In conducting the investigation, we will seek to determine whether there are violations of the above laws by the MCSO," the letter says.

Sheriff Arpaio's efforts to enforce immigration laws have been the focus of previous criticism, but Arpaio has defended his department and the results his ICE-trained officers have netted.

Concerning the DOJ’s investigation, Arpaio told CNSNews.com: “I will not back down. What I am doing is upholding the laws of the state of Arizona, and I will not be persuaded to turn my back on my oath of office as sheriff of this county.”

In an August 2008 press release, Arpaio's office detailed those results.

"While the Sheriff’s illegal immigration and human smuggling operations conducted on the streets and roadways here have netted nearly 2,300 arrests, another very successful effort to locate illegal aliens has been quietly happening inside Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jails," the release said.

It continues: "Despite the growing criticism of the Sheriff’s illegal immigration fight by some valley politicians and activists, Sheriff Arpaio says 60 detention officers trained by ICE officials have conducted over 106,000 interviews and investigations of inmates booked into jail since April of 2007.

"In those 18 months, 16,000 inmates were determined to be illegal aliens. Either they have already been deported or will be deported after being tried and/or serving their sentences for crimes committed in the valley. The work being done be Arpaio’s detention staff is a likely contributor to the recent reduction in crime in the valley,” the press release added.

"That number of 16,000 represents a full one-third (1/3) of all inmates in the United States who have had holds placed on them after being identified by jail or prison officials as illegal aliens."

The press release goes on to say that 20 percent of inmates in the Maricopa County Jail are illegal aliens and that of those, 2,000 illegal aliens - 70 percent - were arrested for felony crimes.

Those felony crimes committed included the following: forgery, 12 percent; kidnapping, 10 percent; aggravated assault, 7 percent; driving under the influence, 7 percent; drug charges, 27 percent; robbery, 3 percent; murder, 3 percent; and theft, 4 percent.

The Democratic Congress members have also asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to launch an investigation into the training provided by ICE.


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[elkhuntCO]

We need to clone Sheriff Arpaio and put about 1000 more of him in countyies across our border. They should send some of Obama's criminal friends to AZ to hang out in Maricopa jail. Keep up the good work protecting AZ and America Sheriff Arpaio!!!

Semper Fi

[ricbak]

I also see that Conyers from Detroit has his nose stuck into it. He has been in office Since 1965. WAY too long... Yes, We do need Sheriffs and LEOs to take a tougher stance.

[CathyInBlue]

The fact that 1/3 of all inmate holds came from MCSO is not an indication that MCSO is doing something bad. It's an indication that most other county sheriff's offices AREN'T doing something good. Get everyone to do what Sheriff Joe's doing and the front line in the war on crime and illegal immigration, the local county police, will be infinitely more effective.

[FOXBARON]

Gee, wouldn't it be nice if our Federal Officials took their oath of office as seriously as Sheriff Joe?

[DocBoCook]

seriously, if he is trained by DHS and Border patrol, and is following their protocals, what is he doing wrong? Oh right, he's preventing more future democratic voters. Got it

[gdcleanfun]

The fact that 1/3 of all inmate holds came from MCSO is not an indication that MCSO is doing something bad. It's an indication that most other county sheriff's offices AREN'T doing something good. Get everyone to do what Sheriff Joe's doing and the front line in the war on crime and illegal immigration, the local county police, will be infinitely more effective.

+1. I like your reasoning.

[mot mayhem]

I might be wrong in my train of thought..... but, if they are ILLEGAL, do they even have any rights? I mean, they shouldn't be here in the first place, they are breaking our laws, and yet they are still defended as normal legal citizens. I am for fair treatment to all, but they have no rights. Especially when they break the law right from the start by coming here illegally.

++1 for Joe!!!!! I concur! we need to clone him & put him in every major city... along w/ the boondock saints!

[gogriz91]

The Dems hate the idea of losing potential voters if Obama gives them citizenship.

[gvaldeg1]

The truth is that Calamity Jane (Janet) Napolitano has had a feud going with Sheriff Joe Arpaio ever since she was Governor of Arizona. As Governor, her own position was too shaky to carry out her vendetta on Joe but now, as Secretary of Homeland Security, she and the odious Attorney General, Eric Holder (totally anti-second amendment), can lower the boom on Sheriff Joe by subjecting him to the multitudinous microscopes of a Federal investigation. And...for what? For doing his job against illegal aliens that Jane would never do!