Numerous are actually concerned about Arizona. They are actually discussing within the state. The concern over SB1070, which allows officers to verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect can be illegal, is still unsettled, as the Obama administration has challenged the constitutional grounds of the law, which Governor Jan Brewer has decried. The fight going on between Arizona and also the government continues heavily argued while the Sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, is being sued by the Justice Department. Joe Arpaio allegedly didn’t cooperate in a civil rights abuse investigation, says the Department of Justice.
Suspected discrimination by Joe
Sheriff Joe Arpaio was supposedly trying to “sweep” illegal immigrants by targeting only Hispanics which is why the investigation started. The Maricopa County Sheriff sends deputies into intensely Hispanic areas, where they will stop anybody for minor reasons, as outlined by the Los Angeles Times. When there with the individuals, deputies had one job to complete. They were expected to verify immigration status. Before the Arizona immigration law was even proposed, they were doing this. The Justice Department requested documentation on these sweeps from Sheriff Arpaio, which he was loathe to comply with. Allegedly, he denied federal investigators access to buildings and refused to hand over requested material.
Lawsuits are the norm
The Maricopa Sheriff is no stranger to lawsuits. Several have died in his jail they call “Tent City” which has caused him to be sued multiple times. It is called tent city because it is an area in the desert surrounded by barbed wire fences that has tents in it. There is also an ongoing grand jury investigation into Sheriff Arpaio and also the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for corruption, according to ABC. The Office got the request for materials and paperwork through a year ago. This originated from the Justice Department. A federal judge found the Sheriff’s Office had ruined documents pertaining to the sweeps in question that attorneys suing Arpaio’s department were entitled to see.
Further 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
