Sheriff Joe Arranging for Police to Enforce Immigration Laws
by chaparral Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006 at 11:58 AM

from deletetheborder.org/chaparral

Soon after the announcement of a federal lawsuit brought against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and the Board of Supervisors, challenging the enforcement of the human smuggling law (more on the lawsuit here), Sheriff Joe announced that he's been trying to arrange the ability for his officers to enforce immigration law.

Arpaio said Wednesday he has been negotiating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for months on an agreement letting trained deputies question, detain and arrest people they encounter who are in the country illegally.

Arpaio said he wants about 200 deputies and jail officers to take an eight-week course to learn how to enforce federal laws...

Such training is allowed under the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act, but a local agency's authority varies. Some only want detention officers trained so they can place immigration holds on inmates, while others want broader powers allowing them to detain people they've stopped on the streets for immigration violations. Source).

Joe and his buddy Andrew Thomas, with the support of their anti-immigrant fans, have been charging immigrants with conspiracy under the new-ish human smuggling law. (More info on the charges of conspiracy: Sheriff Joe arrests more immigrants and Immigrant faces up to 4 years for conspiracy, also Rights and the Anti-Immigrant Movement).

More powers given to the police to enforce immigration laws can lead to all sorts of repression, harassment, racial profiling, detainment, etc., as well as the lack of ability of undocumented immigrants to seek help from police in various situation: medical emergencies, domestic violence, rape, etc. (not that i think the police have a benevolent role to play in that, but in essence folks who would allow this are implying that undocumented immigrants do not deserve help or protection).

Some related youtube videos: Sheriff NoBullsh*t
Copwatch Press Conference with Sheriff Joe Arpaio 6-16 vid 1

Also on this blog this week:

Rights and the Anti-Immigrant Movement
Guilty Verdict for Border Vigilante
Sexual Assault in Mexico, on the Border, and in the U.S.
Fake Death Statistics Prompt Anti-Immigrant Event
"Elite Prosecutor" used for Immigrant Conspiracy Cases

www.deletetheborder.org/chaparral

add your comments