Washington, D.C. — Today the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that they will file a lawsuit against Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio for civil rights violations and racial profiling. Angela M. Kelley, Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
We applaud the Department of Justice and Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez for pressing forward with their investigation of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. For too long, rather than fairly enforcing the law, Arpaio has been living above the law. Today’s announcement comes months after DOJ released its findings of a “pattern and practice” of violations, including outward discrimination against Latino residents, retaliation against anyone who criticized Arpaio’s regime, and discriminating against Latino inmates in county jails.
The Justice Department has gone the extra mile in seeking agreement with Arpaio’s department over training procedures, data collection methods, and an outreach to Arizona’s Latino community. The sheriff’s flat refusal to cooperate with the Department of Justice makes clear he places his ego over the interests of the residents of Maricopa County. Arpaio’s tenure in office has been an embarrassment to Arizona, to the country, and to the rule of law. We hope that this lawsuit will ultimately lead to his removal from office.
For more information on how Arizona’s anti-immigrant sentiment has harmed the state, see:
To speak with CAP experts on this topic, please contact Christina DiPasquale at 202.481.8181 or [email protected].
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