Joe Arpaio Loses Support From Homeland Security After Scathing Report

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security is cutting ties with an Arizona sheriff accused of a wide range of civil right violations.

Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday the department is ending an agreement with the Maricopa County sheriff's office that allowed trained deputies to enforce immigration laws. It's also restricting the office's use of the Secure Communities program, which uses fingerprints collected in local jails to identify illegal immigrants.

Napolitano's announcement came shortly after the Justice Department released a scathing report accusing Sheriff Joe Arpaio (ar-PEYE'-oh) and his office of committing a wide range of civil rights violations against Latinos. Justice Department investigators said the abuses included a pattern of racial profiling.

Comments

[SilkytheSamurai]

05:05 AM on 12/21/2011

About time!!! But something tells me there is a bigger story here then just that.... Come DHS, who'd he kill?

[Yankeebrown]

07:13 AM on 12/16/2011

God know how many innocent Latinos are in jail because of this guy! how many criminal are out there because he chose to pursue innocent men! How many victims without justice! How much wasted tax payer's money???

[FranklinD]

09:06 AM on 12/16/2011

God knows how many have died as a result of the drug wars and illegal immigration. The real question should be is how effective is Joe Arpaio in combatting this with his rough tactics. There are about 40,000 dead as a result of this nation's near narco-state status.

This is more than the wars over Kosovo, more than Assad in Syria, and almost half of those who died in Iraq. With the issue of narco-terrorism, it could be argued that this is more important than going in Iraq was in 2003...assuming you favored this war. If not, then it is a rout...Mexico is more important. Of course it would be more effective if with the permission of the Mexican government the US sent the Marines or Army into Mexico to assist that government in cleaning up the murderers and narco-terrorists.

[Picosa]

12:28 PM on 12/16/2011

When you clean up that insatiable desire for illegal drugs in the U.S. you wont have to, "assist that government in cleaning up the murderers and narco-terr­orists."


What Are the U.S.'s Real Motives for Launching a Drug War in Mexico?
James Cockcroft's new book 'Mexico's Revolution: Then and Now' exposes the thinking behind U.S. narcotrafficking policy and the militarization of Mexico and further South.
http://www.alternet.org/books/149489/what_are_the_u.s

[Yankeebrown]

07:06 AM on 12/17/2011

I disagree with your strategy but it's a fair argument. legalizing drugs, a war on addiction, and clean up of the Mexican justice system I think would be more effective.

[AZreb]

06:54 AM on 12/16/2011

Why cut off the use of "trained" deputies, since those are the ones supposed to be more versed in the laws of immigrations? And why cut off the Secure Communities support? How the heck can any law enforcement agency check on the criminal status or non-criminal status of a person?

This Department of Homeland Stupidiity is cutting off its nose to spite its face - or make it more difficult to check and find criminal aliens in this country - no matter their country of origin.

And the Department of Justice is attacking Arpaio, too - on the one-year anniversary of the murder of Agent Terry on our own land where two weapons from the gunrunning program of DoJ (Fast and Furious) were used. Trying to take the focus off Fast and Furious? And also the reports of the DEA, another branch of the Department of Justice, laundering money for the drug cartels!

Divert and attack - perhaps the Department of Homeland Stupidity and the Department of INjustice should clean up their own acts, too. It is NOT okay to strip search seniors, pat down children, increase problems for the ill - it is NOT okay to supply weapons and money (the lifeblood of the drug cartels) courtesy of our own government.

[Picosa]

04:33 AM on 12/16/2011

Violations against the Constitution of The United States of America. What is it so many Nativists don't understand about the "RULE OF LAW?"
quote:
Legal Findings Under Section 14141 & Title VI and its Implementing Regulations
The evidence uncovered during our investigation supports the following legal conclusions/determinations:

* MCSO discriminates against Latinos by engaging in police practices that violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Section 14141, Title VI, and the Department's Title VI implementing regulations.

* MCSO discriminates against its Latino LEP inmates on the basis of their national origin in violation of Title VI and the Department's Title VI implementing regulations.

* MCSO engages in a pattern or practice of unlawful seizures, including unjustified stops, detentions, and arrests, of Latinos in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 14141.

* MCSO engages in a pattern or practice of retaliatory actions against individuals who complain about MCSO's conduct or criticize MCSO's operations and policies, especially its immigration-related policies, in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 14141.
http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/mcso_findletter_12-15-11.pdf

[jsgaetano]

12:00 AM on 12/16/2011

Arpaio's county has the most unsolved crimes in the nation. They aren't even trying to do anything, they're persuing Arpaio's thinly veiled racist agenda full time, to the exclusion of everything else.

[realpolitic]

11:40 PM on 12/15/2011

Holder and the Justice Department is starting to get a little more activist and it is a good thing. i mean, they are finally taking a stand against the plethora of voter suppression measures passed by states with conservative governors. Soon we may see litigation on this issue. Arpaio needs to go! He has been a disgrace for too long and harkens back to a day when the sheriff completely ran the county and civil rights laws were thrown out of the window.

[techie20032000]

11:23 PM on 12/15/2011

I want to know why this guy isn't a GOP candidate for President. He fits right in. His only problem is he says it out loud.

[Sheldon archer]

11:09 PM on 12/15/2011

And, as the sun sinks slowly in the west, we say farewell to........

[amd02148]

11:02 PM on 12/15/2011

10, 9, 8, what's that you say? Joe's days are numbered.

[Rick Shreiner]

10:49 PM on 12/15/2011

Arrest him, lock him up, charge him by grand jury, try him, convict him and imprison him.
Then throw away the key, and start again with his deputies, and finally, Gov Jan Brewer.

[Armando Cedillo]

10:47 PM on 12/15/2011

The fact that Secretary Janet Napolitano has decided to curb/eliminate Sheriff Joe Arpaio's legitimate use of the 287(g) program clearly demonstrates that she is not the least concerned with the safety of the citizens of Maricopa County or the integrity of our national borders. She ought to resign and join NCLR where her lack of patriotism would be a better fit.

[MTY INDACHI]

10:36 AM on 12/16/2011

the NACO has spoken

[rockysparks]

10:21 PM on 12/15/2011

Those of us who have followed this mean-spirited old man's career knew this had to be coming. I;m just sorry it took so long.

[Armando Cedillo]

10:50 PM on 12/15/2011

Perhaps Arpaio's insistence that all occupants of Maricopa County be either legal residents, legitimate tourists or just plain old American citizens is "mean-spirited" to some but to others it is patriotic and commendable.

[rockysparks]

10:57 PM on 12/15/2011

It's one thing to enforce the law. It's quite another to deny human beings decent treatment and human rights. This is what your "patriotic," "commendable" personal hero is accused of and what is now keeping Maricopa County from full access to the privileges other American counties, who are willing to obey fdederal standards, still have, Armando.

[HipsterCorgi]

11:27 PM on 12/15/2011

He violates the civil rights of "plain old American citizens", too. Be careful, and don't cross him, or you might be next.

[TSRVT]

10:10 PM on 12/15/2011

This guy is a domestic terrorist. He should be sent to Guantanamo and waterboarded.

[AZreb]

06:57 AM on 12/16/2011

Careful - then Holder and his Department of Justice are also domestic (actually international) terrorists - supplying weapons to the drug cartels in both Mexico and the USA and using the DEA to launder money for the drug cartels.

[TSRVT]

07:58 AM on 12/16/2011

Exactly what color IS the sky in your world?

[reasonshouldrule]

09:43 PM on 12/15/2011

It's about time the feds cut their ties to this rogue sheriff.

[Armando Cedillo]

10:53 PM on 12/15/2011

Since the feds have basically cut their ties to the American people it probably came as no surprise to the sheriff.

[Contact1972]

11:44 PM on 12/15/2011

Since the feds have basically cut their ties to the American people
***********************************************************************
How so?

[reasonshouldrule]

10:08 AM on 12/16/2011

News flash: Sheriff Arpaio doesn't represent the American people in any way. He and all his supporters are no more than rogue citizens willing to break the law to serve their own agenda, and that agenda in his case, appears to be overtly discriminatory.

[ThinkinPerson]

09:26 PM on 12/15/2011

Thank you DOJ. I am so glad to see that he has been investigated for the last 3 years, to doing such a complete job.

I mean, we could all see it happening, pink suits? Come on. I think he even had a comment about being 'macho.' It was sickening. To house people in tents, in the desert?

I am grossed out this man with his racists policies has tainted so many good law enforcement people who uphold the laws of this country. When I learned this man hated Mexicans so much he failed to investigate sexual abuse charges against young girls, people who trusted his department to be the face of justice, I feel so sorry he was not caught sooner.

[One more Thing]

10:05 PM on 12/15/2011

It's been common knowledge for a long, long time that he has no respect for the law and is a self promoting ballastic bully, however, the entire Maricopa County government is so corrupt that no one dare go after him for fear of their own corruption being exposed!

[HipsterCorgi]

11:31 PM on 12/15/2011

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It's great that they're investigating him, but that's just a start. This is all common knowledge. I watched a documentary years ago about how he framed some poor innocent kid and had him sent away.

[Contact1972]

11:46 PM on 12/15/2011

Do you remember the name of the documentary?