White House strips immigration policing powers from Arizona sheriff

[SpartanDem]

Source: The Guardian

controversial Arizona sheriff known for taking a hard line against illegal immigrants has been stripped of some of his powers in what he described as a political move by the Obama administration.

Joe Arpaio, a gruff lawman who styles himself as America's toughest sheriff, has won acclaim from US anti-immigrant forces for his relentless pursuit of mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants in Maricopa county, Arizona, a fast-growing county of 4 million people that is home to Phoenix, the nation's fifth largest city
.................
Under a two-year-old agreement with the federal department of homeland security, Arpaio and his deputies had been authorised to enforce federal immigration law by arresting suspected illegal immigrants in the field and by checking the immigration status of people arrested on other offences. His deputies have arrested roughly 33,000 illegal immigrants since 2007, far more than other agencies with similar authority.

But after drawing thousands of complaints and a civil rights investigation from the justice department, Arpaio was this week stripped of his federal authority to make immigration arrests. County attorney Andrew Thomas, one of Arpaio's supporters, condemned the "setback in the fight against illegal immigration".


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/09/obama-immigration-arpaio-arizona-sheriff

[WriteDown]

1. This is one of the reasons why I think about moving to Germany..

on occasion.

[TerribleLarryDingle]

3. Which reason?

[WriteDown]

4. Germany is serious about regulated immigration...

We don't know what we're doing.

[sabrina 1]

7. Do you know anything about this Sherrif? n/t

[WriteDown]

8. A little....

Some I like, some I do not. Tents out in the desert is a little much.

[havocmom]

9. How about when he sent deputies into a public meeting to arreste people

(who all were brown, by the way) for politely applauding as one speaker took the mic during an arranged public comment period?

That was really what Joe is about: silencing anybody who doesn't agree with Joe.

[WriteDown]

10. Link?

Check out this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio#Policy_on_illegal_immigration

Charles Agster's part is interesting.

I would have rather they take away his ability to run a jail and left his ability to control illegal immigration.

[havocmom]

13. Here ya go

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2008/12/ioawuvb.php

and

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/arizona-sheriff-turns-county-meeting

Sorry, but Joe is a strong arm thug. I feel the borders must be better tended, but Joe is not the man for the job. He is a brown shirt thug

Send the DOJ after the EMPLOYERS who entice then exploit cheap labor by means of decades of hiring illegal immigrants. Joe just wants to knock heads.

[WriteDown]

40. Thanks!

I have some reading to do.

[sudopod]

59. How's that reading coming?

lol

[WriteDown]

83. Reminds me a bit of Ross Perot. nt

[Bette Noir]

20. Ya know, if you had lived 200 years ago you probably would have blamed slavery on the slaves.

What does it say about us, as a nation, that we place exploited and abused working people outside the law, so they cannot demand justice?

[Coventina]

86. Not all of them were brown, but yes, that was OUTRAGEOUS!

The man believes he is above the law.

:mad:

[sabrina 1]

11. The tents in the desert are probably the least of his crimes

He is one of the worst human rights violators still in the business of law-enforcement in this country and in most other states, he'd probably be in jail, or at least would have long ago, been removed from his position.

He also uses his position to conduct political prosecutions, as he is in the process of doing right not to another Republican. A testament to how bad he is, even in AZ, he could not find any prosecutor to take on a case so clearly a violation of everything the law is meant to achieve. He has been held responsible for several deaths of inmates in his care by many human rights groups. He is a sadistic and a very disturbed individual who I hope will be brought to justice one day.

If his type of 'justice' was generally accepted in this country, I too and many others, would be fleeing this country. In fact many immigrants fled other countries because of 'law-makers' like him.

Good for the White House for limiting his powers. He is a disgrace to the word 'justice', a human rights violator who has no place in any position where he has power over other human beings.

Naturally, he is a favorite of the reactionary and racist radical rightwingnuts.

[Soylent Brice]

18. the inmates all wear pink, even undies. they eat bologna, and live in tents

in 120+ degree heat through the summer.

he drives a tank.

he is a fucking NUTJOB.

he's like some possessed repig cowboy wannabe.

if you've ever seen pics of tent city, and it's inmates, you would know just how racist and inhumane this motherfucker is.

not trying to be combatitive, but his "policies" are racially biased and extremely opposite of anything progressive.

for what it's worth.

[L. Coyote]

23. Not to mention the Honduras stuff

[Soylent Brice]

26. yup...

Sheriff Joe Arpaio pays for the training of Honduran cops with RICO funds to the tune of around $32K, and counting.

At least nine members of the MCSO traveled to Honduras for weeks at a time, costing a total of $31,777.82 in expenses reimbursed by RICO funds. The cost to the taxpayer is likely higher.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2008/02/sheriff_joe_arpaio_pays_for_th.php

there's plenty of info out there for anyone to know he's vile.

[L. Coyote]

57. More like pays for right-wing-nut vacations with taxpayer money

Let's go down to the tropics for a few weeks of R & R & R (right-wing fraternization) and call it work training fascist police to suppress democracy. NOT :rofl:

[SWr]

52. only stuff I agree with him on

Prisoners deserve to all wear pink, even undies. they eat bologna, and live in tents

They also should be doing things productive like working along the highways, cleaning graffiti etc.

Sitting in a cell watching Oprah isnt paying their debt to society.

[Chulanowa]

55. No, they shouldn't

A brief little history of "prison work"

You see, down south - and I'm sure elsewhere - there was this chain gang system. You take a bunch of inmates, chain them at the ankle.. .and then rent their labor, nice and cheap, to another department of the county, or even to a private contractor. Lumber mills were pretty common.

Sounds like a great idea, right? They're "paying their debt to society"...

But there's a bit of trouble. You see, with the chain gang system in place, there was a good supply of nearly-free slave labor for whoever wanted it... It was very profitable both for the prisons and for the businesses and departments the chain gangs were rented to.

The problem with this is, of course... profit motive gave cops extra reason to inflate charges, make spurious arrests, and ignore habeus corpus. it put pressure on the famous all-white juries to give guilty sentences and for judges to administer especially long sentences for even minor infractions. it gave District Attorneys absolutely no incentive to reopen a case even when faced with new, exculpatory evidence, and of course, there was no reason for parole boards to ever grant parole in this system.

In essence, if you got arrested, you became a slave for as long as they could keep you - and when charges are being invented against you, that could be a very long time indeed.

[WriteDown]

56. Easy solution...

Have the labor only be available for public projects. Highways, parks, etc.

[Chulanowa]

58. Same problem

It becomes profitable for the state that way and encourages the same thing. We've already got enough trouble from the prison industrial complex.

[dixiegrrrrl]

65. Now that prisons have become privatized, the exact thing is happening all over.

Judge in Fla. was busted for taking kickbacks from private prison to sentence people TO prison.
More people, more money the prison makes.

In one Alabama county, the only one I can speak of from personal experience, prisoners are still used, freely, by local people for cheap labor, usually the trustees, are allowed to work for people at very very low rates. Handyman type work, with a guard.
And chain gangs are a common sight along the roadways here. Black and white horizontal striped uniforms, guards sitting on horses, right out of the movie.
The local jails have open windows, NO air conditioning, usually one big iron cell in the middle for everybody.
You do NOT want to be in a southern jail.

[greennina]

69. What about the innocent ones?

How in the hell can you say they deserve it when so many innocent people have been imprisoned by this racist for being brown?

[Soylent Brice]

71. that's the thing. they DON'T si in cells watching Oprah.

they sit in fucking tents. in the desert.

[Coventina]

87. Oh please. This is the county jail here, the majority of the inmates

are awaiting trial AND PRESUMED INNOCENT!

[Chulanowa]

17. Nothing worse than Mexicans, is there?

:sarcasm:

Seriously? Do you realize the irony of wanting to flee to another country because of our immigration policies?

[WriteDown]

28. You do realize the difference between...

legal and illegal immigration, right?

[Chulanowa]

42. There is no difference

I know it's probably deeply surprising, but simply, there isn't a lick of difference. Someone from there comes to live here, or vice versa. Much like drugs, the only reason illegal immigration is illegal is because it's illegal. It's a circular argument.

But then I laugh every time I hear a white person bitching about indians "illegally immigrating" anyway.

[WriteDown]

47. Can't argue with that madness....

Why not just throw out the entire concept of citizenship? Globablists unite!

[Chulanowa]

48. You're the guy threatening to emigrate over immigration

Madness? That's! Just! STUPID! *Boot*

[sudopod]

53. Some paper work

and several thousand dollars?

Aw well, fuck those poor people. They should have thought about that before being poor.

[treestar]

75. The main difference is luck

The laws are extremely restrictive, which is why illegals are illegal.

They simply do not qualify to immigrate legally. But we choose a blind eye to take advantage of the cheap labor. We've been doing that for decades.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pampango]

21. Germany has open immigration from the other 26 countries in the EU which includes a couple

that are poorer than Mexico and several more that are just a little better off than Mexico.

[WriteDown]

29. That is fine....

I've spent a lot of time in Germany. Legal immigration is fine by me.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[havocmom]

14. LOL yeah, Joe is a browshirt, so there are some who think he is great

Federal immigration laws being enforced by a heavy handed thug put into office by the top economic tier in Maricopa County is not a good thing. That top tier needs to be weeded out and all those who have employed/exploited the cheap labor of desperate people should be put in the damn tent city.

[WriteDown]

30. I do like laws being enforced...

I can do without the other stuff though.

[havocmom]

32. I like laws being enforced too, but by the proper authority and with some thought

Joe is not the bigot for the job.

[WriteDown]

34. That is why I asked for the links that were provided. nt

[havocmom]

35. Hey, I'm from Missouri, no need to 'splain it to me

Am familiar with AZ politics, and Phoenix 500 mindset. I do not hate Joe from afar and without context. Context is good.

[Nostradammit]

22. I would really like to encourage you to move out of the country.

Seriously.

[L. Coyote]

24. Honduras has a good fascist coup, and they are Joe's buddies too.

You'll enjoy the right-wing propadanda 24/7/365.25

[WriteDown]

31. Interesting you say that...

I have considered retiring in a few years to Panama or Nicaragua since I have friends in both countries. Not Honduras, but closer.

[sudopod]

37. HAHAHAHA

bullshit.

If you're willing to leave the US over immigration policy, why would the places where the immigrants are fleeing from A OK? Well that makes perfect sense.

Why are you even here at DU anyway?

[WriteDown]

39. You seem to have problems with BASIC concepts....

I plan to immigrate LEGALLY. I like Central America. I spent a lot of time there when I was younger. Like the climate, like the food. Why wouldn't I want to immigrate there?

[sudopod]

41. So why is illegal immigration enough to make you consider

leaving the US and going to Germany?

Out of all the things that are wrong with this country, why is illegal immigration the straw that breaks the camel's back? Also, if you're such a big Law and Order man that you can't bear to see our laws subverted by those nasty illegals, that you are in fact so disturbed by them that you'd abandon the whole fucking country, why would you retire to Panama or Nicaragua? I mean, when I think of stable institutions, rule of law and the rights of citizens, I know that I think of motherfucking Panama and Nicaragua.

Explain that.

Wait, you won't. You'll just change the subject or pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about, like I no hablo Engles.

Don't piss on us and tell us it's raining.

[WriteDown]

46. Ask the Germans....

And many other progressive nations who have very clear and absolute laws concerning illegal immigration. When jobs are in incredible demand, its generally a good idea to take care of your legal citizens first. Do you object to this?

And the reasons that I've thought about leaving are plentiful. Germany has a lot to offer, but Central America offers the opportunity for my money to go much farther. Sounds like you are the one with the bias against Nicaraguans and Panamanians. I talke it you've never been down there?

[sudopod]

49. What, did a Mexican mug you

and try to steal your job?

[WriteDown]

50. It was a Somalian.

:rofl:

Somehow, I don't think you've been in the southern hemisphere much.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Piewhacket]

62. you sure know how to rile up a crowd, (grin).

seems ta me (he sez, scratching his ass)

that secure borders and enforcement of immigration laws
is not inconsistent with progressive values.
its how the thugs like joe the sheriff do do it that violates
progressive values. its how we mistreat people that violates
progressive values.

Progressives agree that our borders should be secure, and our
laws obeyed.


BUT Progressives also agree that when someone walks into an emergency
room they are to be treated. Progressives believe that a
fair days work deserves a fair days pay. Progressives believe it
is a crime to coerce or rob someone by threatening them with prosecution.

Progressives believe that the right to humane treatment, to
be free of harassment and unreasonable search and seizure, the
right speak and to worship, the right to due process of law,
that these do not depend on the color of someone's skin, or sex,
or how they dress , or how they speak.

AND Progressives also especially believe that NONE of these things
have a god damn thing to do with immigration status.

this is not a thorny and impenetrable problem for progressives.
humanely enforce the border while respecting those on US soil.
simple.

[WriteDown]

84. Somewhat unintentional here...

Honestly, I did not know very much about Joe Arpaio until I started reading some of the material provided. You give a good summation.

[jpak]

38. Don't let the door hit your...etc...

:rofl:

[Vidar]

2. Good.

[EFerrari]

5. Good. The man is a sadistic criminal. It's about time somebody

did something about his abuses.

[David Zephyr]

6. Good news.

!

[bertman]

12. Good first step. Now let's have some Justice Department investigations of his abuses.

Rec.

[tomm2thumbs]

15. too bad they can't strip him of his attitude /nt

[FiveGoodMen]

44. ...or his remaining authority

This is the first good news I've read today.

[Taverner]

16. ROCK ON!!!

God I hate Arpaio

[bergie321]

25. He has not arrested 33,000 illegals

According to his own website (http://www.mcso.org/), his department has arrested 1887. Since he also runs the jails, he likes to count those arrested by other Phoenix-area LE agencies and processed by his jailers.

He has also cost Maricopa County taxpayers nearly $50 million in lost lawsuits for prisoner abuse and murder by his detention officers(http://www.arpaio.com/blood-on-hands/index.php).

One of his high ranking deputies is currently under investigation for running an illegal campaign group which funneled money into his campaign last year including funds for the most vile campaign commercials ever aired.

[havocmom]

33. Did his website mention the ACORN members politely applauding at a public meeting?

He sent his goons to arrest them too. He is a pig and an un-American pig at that. Public Comment portions of Public Meetings is not the time to send in storm trooper wanna-bees. Joe doesn't get it.

[donco6]

43. Interesting, thanks.

This guy is pretty scary.

[byronius]

36. Joe Arpaio is the reason Intel and IBM (and I) left Arizona.

The Worst Sheriff Ever.

Like Macon County Line on steroids.

PS: One of his common tactics with detrators is to plant pot in their car, arrest them, and send them to the tent city -- where they mysteriously die during the night. A local activist who complained about this was -- you guessed it, sent to the tent city and murdered during the night.

No one knows why. Except everyone.

He belongs in prison.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hekate]

54. About time. Another deeply unAmerican Bush policy needs to bite the dust.

:thumbsup:

[Rage for Order]

60. What a shame

A man enforces the law and the feds get pissed. It appears they don't like being shown up by local law enforcement.

[EFerrari]

64. How special of you to defend a racist psycho reviled

for his brutal treatment of detainees and his contempt for the law.

[Rage for Order]

68. America could use more sheriffs like Joe Arpaio

Why should prisoners - not "detainees"...they aren't people who were picked up on a battlefield in Afghanistan - live more comfortably than our troops in Iraq? Don't like being in his jail? Make better choices and don't go back.

[fascisthunter]

73. no... America doesn't need any more overzealous

racists serving and protecting Americans.

[Rage for Order]

77. What race do you think Mr. Arpaio is?

:rofl:

[Alexander]

79. Arpaio is white, and consorts with neo-Nazi groups and skinheads.

Are you really sure you want to be defending him here?

[Bombero1956]

85. Arpaio is an Italian American

From Springfield Massachusetts, something that we in Springfield will never live down.

[Flaneur]

81. Spoken like a rock-ribbed lawn and order Republican.

[JonLP24]

82. They have AC generated tents in Iraq and Kuwait

I know because I have been there. That's what I yell at the top of my lungs whenever Sheriff Joe says that on TV. It is surprised to see a member of DU with the same logic as Sheriff Joe. Plus they're aren't "prisoners" he runs a jail. He does not run a "prison". Plus I assume you have no problems with inmate abuses and deaths?

Jailers Show a Paraplegic Who's Boss

Richard Post was taken to jail in his wheelchair for mouthing off in a bar. Joe Arpaio's detention officers saw him as such a threat, they strapped him into a medieval restraint chair--and broke his neck.

<snip>

They ignored his pleas that such treatment of a paraplegic would cause serious injuries. In fact, the lower, paralyzed portions of his body were severely damaged, and Post would spend four months in bed, convalescing.

But Post's protestations fell on deaf ears. Jailers intended to teach Post a lesson he would never forget. So they strapped him down roughly into the metal contraption, and tightened its leather straps with all their might.

And broke Post's neck.
And now, almost a year after his stay in Joe Arpaio's jail, Post has lost much of the use of his arms, and faces surgery to remove a vertebra from his neck.

It's a tough penalty meted out by a tough sheriff, but then that's the avowed mission of a lawman who brags that his jails are meant to be so miserable no inmate will ever break the law again.
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1997-01-23/news/jailers-show-a-paraplegic-who-s-boss/1

Arpaio’s Jail Staff Cost Ambrett Spencer Her Baby, and She’s Not the Only One

<snip>
About an hour after she requested help, Spencer was escorted to the infirmary. The one healthcare professional on the premises, a nurse, took Spencer's blood pressure. She also detected the baby's heartbeat, around 4 a.m.

The nurse — who later admitted she had no prenatal training — told Spencer that she'd be going to the hospital, but she also decided that Spencer's pain was not an emergency.

Another hour later, Spencer passed out. The nurse took her blood pressure again; it was fatally low. The nurse called an ambulance and tried to get an IV into Spencer's arm. She couldn't.

When EMT Jarrid Ortiz arrived, Spencer, who is African-American, had lost so much color it was clear to him that it was an emergency. "If you are turning that color, you're not getting enough blood to your organs and skin," Ortiz later told a sheriff's detective.

Four paragraphs but read the rest. http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-10-30/news/arpaio-s-jail-staff-cost-ambrett-spencer-her-baby-and-she-s-not-the-only-one/1

I can go on and on but Sheriff Joe had to pay millions of taxpayer money due to his inhumane policy.

If that doesn't bother you do you approve of his harrasement of democratic politicians on democraticunderground?

On April 24, four weeks after Gordon's widely publicized denunciation of the sheriff at a César Chávez luncheon, sheriff's deputies fired off a public-records request seeking the mayor's e-mails, cell phone records, and meeting calendar.

The letter also demands e-mail correspondence for Police Chief Jack Harris, City Manager Frank Fairbanks, and all of Gordon's administrative staff. In all, the sheriff's investigators are seeking every single e-mail written by more than a dozen Phoenix staffers, from November to the date of the sheriff's demand.

But get this.

The Sheriff's Office claims this isn't about the mayor, or the city of Phoenix. No, it's about the sheriff's own agency — Arpaio supposedly needs voluminous information about Gordon & Co. in order to investigate his own deputies for racial profiling.
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-05-15/news/sheriff-joe-wants-to-read-phil-gordon-s-e-mail/full

It makes :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: to see people on this board defending this monster and a racist to boot. Ugh he had a campaign ad where he throws a newspaper in the garbage and says "don't believe the liberal media." :puke:

[DebbieCDC]

61. Good - first step toward getting rid of that lunatic

When is DOJ going to bring him down?

[Rapier09]

63. This guy doesn't enforce the law

He abuses the shit out of his position and then calls himself the hero of the common man.

He mentally deranged,either they will kick him out or he will do something where they have to kick him out.

[lonestarnot]

66. Right the fuck on! WOOOODAMNWHOO!

[lonestarnot]

67. Do we have to have the words strip and AZ sheriff in the same headline?

:evilgrin: ackety my brain!

[shanti]

70. this is great news!

arpaio is a fricken neanderthal. good on obama for slapping him down.

[fascisthunter]

72. about time... that guy is disgusting

[Vidar]

74. Good for the White House on this one.

[treestar]

76. Add this to the long list of accomplishments

for the first 9 months.

[classysassy]

78. Joe Arpaio

is a disgracefull bully.He get most of his support from the older senile racist here in arizona,and there are too many of those nutty old clowns.

[GodlyDemocrat]

80. Wrong, DHS did ... by a former governor who knew Arpaio real well

[Coventina]

88. Let me just say as a resident of Maricopa county and a close

friend and family member of two people who have been abused by Sheriff Joe:

IF YOU DEFEND THIS MONSTER YOU ARE ON THE WRONG BOARD! End of story, no discussion.