Viewers Riled up Over NOW on PBS Show on Illegal Immigration

"No one could ask for a better performance from a sheriff in a state that has to apprehend the lawbreakers, catch illegal aliens, and jail those that are caught according to the judge's sentencing."

-- Sean T.

"He allowed response times to erode, major violent crimes to go un-investigated, and left areas underprotected while he deploys officers on his pet crusades. He may be popular, but as a law enforcement officer and a public servant he is a disgrace."

-- Bill in Arizona.

This week's special NOW on PBS investigation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a hard-line sheriff from Maricopa County, Arizona, received an unprecedented avalanche of responses from NOW viewers.

Sheriff Arpaio has made the most of federally-granted authority to enforce immigration laws, but has he crossed the line when it comes to serving and protecting his community? Some critics have accused him of racial profiling and neglecting other criminal activity under his watch.

See for yourself what Sheriff Arpaio was and wasn't doing in the name of law enforcement. Then, stay for the contentious interview -- between Arpaio and NOW on PBS Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa -- that has so many people talking. You can read many of those comments just below the video.

An excerpt of Maria's interview with Sheriff Arpaio:

Watch the full show and interview online and take part in an interactive debate on illegal immigration.

Comments

[missingxtension]

You think all that the amount of pro Arpio post and traffic to PBS is an accident?
The answer is quite simple, the sheriff has a big budget on on media campaign.
I bet if you can check the ip of all the poster it will probably originate from the same block.

[NABNYC]

People can be very liberal, quite generous, in offering to allow open borders so poor people can come to the U.S. and take -- their neighbor's job. But that's the point: it's nobody's place to offer to give away their neighbor's job. When everyone in the U.S. is employed with a living wage, then let's talk about bringing in immigrants. But until then, we should deport everyone who is here illegally, fine employers who hire illegal immigrants, and set up some amnesty provision for long-time residents. But somebody who crossed the border last week or month or year is deserving of nothing more than a busride home.

This sheriff may be a bit loco, but the burdens of Bush and Fox's open border policy has fallen on local communities. It is the local housing that is overburdened (landlords often renting out to 20 at a time, floorspace). Local schools, police, hospitals overburdened. The federal government did nothing because they wanted the illegal immigrants to come here so Americans could be thrown out of work and their wages slashed. It's all part of the same program. And the gang violence and terrorizing of communities is a real problem -- the children murdered in drive-bys are real problems. Serious problems. Crowding 20 million desperately poor people into a community with inadequate resources is a recipe for disaster. Don't blame the sheriff: blame the national government for its policies to open the borders.

[cbeenthere]

I think a lot of people who came across the border have returned to their country due to the lack of employment here in the U.S. If there are no jobs, there are no jobs, and there is no money to send back home. Do you want a cement fence across the border with Mexico?? Please let's have some new ideas on these problems instead of rehashing the same old.

[NABNYC]

There is a problem, we all agree. My "idea" about how to solve it is to deport illegal immigrants, fine employers who hire them, and secure the border in both directions: no more unlawful entry of persons or products from either side. Stop the gang and drug flow into the U.S., as well as the construction and factory workers. Stop the gun and weapons flowing from the U.S. into Mexico, and being used by criminals there to murder their police, governmental officials, and judges. Shut it down entirely.

For long-term residents, there should be some procedure to apply for amnesty.

For short-term residents, they should be sent home. The fact that someone made it across the border illegally, or overstayed a visa, should not mean they are "entitled" to stay. They should be promptly deported. All the agonizing over what to do simply encourages more people to sneak across the border. We have laws, now we just need to enforce them.

[PoliticalRockChick]

Xenophobes disgust me. If Mexicans were white from Ireland or Eastern Europe he would not treat them the same way.

[RightWingMarine]

yeah because the wave of Irish and Slavs that came here years ago were welcomed with open arms.

[RobinSeattle]

Aside form the fact that Irish were very much discriminated against when they came to this country in the wake of the Irish potato famine, there are practical issues of statecraft in forming reasonable immigration policy. Just because someone has skin of a darker hue than Pat Boone does not imbue him with virtue nor does it necessarily make unfettered immigration a good thing for America.

Everyone recognizes that the average Mexican has it tough due to a corrupt government and a distorted economy in their native land. However, Mexico also deports Guatemalans who go to Mexico looking for work and the Mexican aboriginals are discriminated against by Spanish speaking Mexicans. By the same token, though, allowing Mexico to have an easy out by forcing its citizens to the U.S. only perpetuates the status quo there. If that relief valve is removed, it will put more pressure on the citizenry in Mexico to carve out a progressive revolution.

[PoliticalRockChick]

The Irish were able to assimilate. The only way if people knew they were Irish, they either would state their name or speak, if they had an Irish accent. Blacks who are dark skin haven't been able to assimilate. Now there were blacks who were born light skin and were able to pass as white, they were able to assimilate easily. No matter what, society will always deem dark or brown skin as inferior. Hopefully in a 100 years we are all brown, but will always find something to discriminate about.

[RobinSeattle]

The problem isn't Arpaio going after illegals. The real issue is his management style, one which as seen crime soar by 60% in Maricopa County while he is busy showboating for the media.

It is ironic that the two Republican law enforcement stars, former Orange County (CA) Sherrif Mike Carona and Arpaio, proved to be incompetent boobs. Carona is about to be sentenced on corruption charges and Arpaio has allowed his bailiwick to go to hell in the name of his own personal glory.

[Mexitli]

If Arpaio is the best they can come up with to fight off the Mexican hordes (lol) then I'd say we're on schedule and in good shape.