New DHS Rules Threaten Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Immigration Enforcement Regime
New DHS Rules Threaten Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Immigration Enforcement Regime
The Department of Homeland Security recently decided to issue a new set of rules that will force local police who are enforcing immigration laws under the 287g program to focus on arresting immigrants charged with violent and serious crimes (as opposed to those who commit minor offenses). That’s bad news for Arizona’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio who’s been known to terrorize and raid immigrant communities for little reason at all.
Last week, Arpaio announced that he refused to cooperate with Department of Justice authorities investigating allegations of racial profiling brought against his police department. Yet, DOJ investigation or not, it now seems that Arpaio’s immigration enforcement days might soon come to an end. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has indicated that local law enforcement officials will no longer be able to pull someone over for a broken tail light and deport them the next day. Instead, they will have to prosecute every crime, or, more formally, “pursue all criminal charges that originally caused the offender to be taken into custody.”
As usual, Sheriff Joe Arpaio thinks it’s all about him, telling a local Phoenix news station:
“I don’t think they like my crime suppression operations. I also feel this is somewhat going toward amnesty…we’ll see if I agree with any changes that they make…You know what, I’ll be doing another crime suppression really soon. You think I’m going to stop? Because of all this heat? I’m not stopping. I’m going to continue to do my job.“
Arpaio also defiantly told the Wall Street Journal, “If I’m told not to enforce immigration law except if the alien is a violent criminal, my answer to that is we are still going to do the same thing, 287g or not.” But Arpaio might not have much of a choice. Napolitano indicated that all law enforcement agencies currently operating under the 287g program have 90 days to review the rules and will have to re-sign an agreement with the Immigration Customs and Enforcement Agency (ICE). Secondly, DHS’ decision has nothing to do with amnesty, rather, its purpose is to make sure local law enforcement officials don’t lose sight of what their main mission should be: keeping communities safe. That’s something Sheriff Arpaio’s office has failed at miserably.
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon praised DHS’ decision:
“Todays announcement carries another message for our community. Let me be blunt, this confirms that Homeland Security has taken the concerns about Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s abuses and misallocation of resources seriously. He can no longer hide behind the illusion that breaking up families at car washes and amusement parks is somehow making us safer as a community.”
5 Responses to “New DHS Rules Threaten Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Immigration Enforcement Regime”
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Let’s hope that DHS finally brings Joe to justice. And while this is a step in the right direction, we must not forget that Sheriff Joe (for all his press and infamy) is not the sole renegade declaring war on immigrants and Latinos. Plenty of other local law enforcement agencies are abusing 287(g). DHS needs a full and comprehensive review of this program AND a moratorium on more programs until that review is completed.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:57 amSheriff Joe does what every politically correct politician shies away from or flat out ignores in order to get votes from anchor babies and their families. He actually starts the process of deporting ILLEGALS – they aren’t undocumented – they are ILLEGAL. Yes, it’s sad for families to be pulled apart when one or two are deported, however, it was their CHOICE – they knew being here illegally they could be sent back at any time – they CHOOSE to put their children and families in that position.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:08 pmActually, Allie, Arpaio refuses to go after the violent thugs, which shows a clear cowardice on his part.
Easy way to prove me wrong, show that violent crimes, such as home invasion robberies, have actually decreased under his watch.
Arpaio’s a paranoid thug with a badge, he’s definitely not one of the good guys.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:08 pmOne other thing Allie, actually, the correct term is “undocumented immigrant”, as “illegal alien” says it’s illegal to be human.
Now, if you can show any society which has made personhood itself an actual crime, then I’ll apologize.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:11 pmSince when is alien synonymous with human? Little green aliens from Mars would be illegal also if they didn’t follow the immigration laws. So, actually, the proper term is ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT. They immigrated illegally. Period.
Napolitano’s been fighting with Sheriff Joe trying to protect the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS for years. A while back, good old Janet tried to stop our Sheriff by rescinding state funding, but Sheriff Joe still did his job. The town of Guadalupe kicked him out – and then begged him to come back. Now Janet’s just using her federal office to do it. But not to worry. We still have state laws Sheriff Joe can use to arrest, prosecute, and deport ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and still get the job done.
Sheriff Joe is enforcing the laws others made. People who don’t like it should change the laws. Not vilify a sheriff for doing his job and enforcing the law. I don’t want a sheriff who picks and chooses which laws he enforces. And guess what? That’s why I voted for Sheriff Joe before and why I’ll vote for him again. And I’m not the only one!!!
July 15th, 2009 at 2:31 pm