Lawmakers, Activists Demand New Investigation of Toughest Sheriff in America

[SemiCharmedQuark]

PHOENIX--Lawmakers, union leaders, human rights groups, Democratic Party leaders, and celebrities are taking on the "Toughest Sheriff in America" for policies that they say encourage racial profiling, civil rights violations, and other abuses.

Last week, four Democratic members of the Congressional House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) sent a letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder requesting an investigation into whether MCSO has engaged in racial profiling or violated other civil rights in the course of its immigration enforcement efforts under 287(g). This week, the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus made similar requests to DHS and the U.S. Attorney General's Office.

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In April 2008, then U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey was also asked to investigate similar charges of racial discrimination after Jessica Rodriguez, a high level staffer of Mayor Phil Gordon, believed that her husband was illegally targeted during a traffic stop by MCSO when six cars made an illegal u-turn but only her Hispanic husband was stopped, ticketed, and asked for proof of citizenship). Rodriguez has an ongoing lawsuit against MCSO related to the incident.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/lawmakers-activists-deman_b_168459.html