Several have been concerned about The Grand Canyon State. They have been discussing within the state. Governor Jan Brewer decried SB1070 which Obama has challenged as being unconstitutional. There nevertheless is no answer on the law that lets authorities check immigration status of anyone they come into contact with within the state. The Justice Department has decided to sue Sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, raging on the Grand Canyon State and federal government feud. Joe Arpaio allegedly didn’t cooperate in a civil rights abuse investigation, says the Department of Justice.
Suspected discrimination by Joe
The original investigation was launched on suspicion the 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 everybody for anything. Deputies were supposed to check immigration status when there. Before the Arizona immigration law was even proposed, they were doing this. The Justice Department asked Sheriff Arpaio for documentation of these sweeps. He was unwilling to give it up. Allegedly, he denied federal investigators access to buildings and refused to hand over requested material.
Lawsuits are the norm
Lawsuits are seen by the Maricopa Sheriff already. It has happened many times. His jail is called Tent City and has tents within the desert with high fences with barbed wire around it, and many have sued him for family dying in this jail. 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 Justice Department made the initial 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 and every right to see the documents.
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
