Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Obama’s DoJ Is Targeting Me Because I Arrest Illegals
The sheriff claims the DOJ is investigating his office for political reasons, not because of racial profiling; according to Arpaio, the Democrats in Washington don’t agree with section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows local law enforcement agencies to assist with illegal immigration enforcement efforts.
“It only took them 60 days to come after me,” Arpaio said. “Sixty days. It usually takes about two years to open up a letter in the Justice Department.”
The DOJ informed the sheriff’s office in March that it was investigating. Since then, Arpaio said the agency has yet to cite any specific examples of racial profiling.
I don’t know anything about this investigation. But I don’t trust Obama’s attitude on illegal immigration.
Patterico: “…I don’t trust Obama’s attitude on illegal immigration.”
Smart man!
GM Roper (85dcd7) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:27 amI wouldn’t count out the possibility that it’s a continuation of an investigation started by the previous pro-illegal administration.
jcurtis (14bf32) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:38 amI don’t trust Obama’s attiude on anything.
JD (7642d2) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:40 amMe either. I think he is deliberately trying to sabotage the economy so that we can become dirty communists. It is so obvious, I just don’t understand how he won so many states in November. It is almost as if people actually like him.
Jeffrey Diamond (fccb0b) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:45 amSherrif Joe is a stand up guy. Perfect? No. But he makes breaking the law come with consequences. Tents, pink underwear, and green baloney are just the ticket to provide some deterrent to committing crime. I guess ’cause you can’t just shoot ’em all. Being in this country without documentation is ILLEGAL. You’d think that the “smartest president evah” would have a grasp of that concept.
PatriotRider (3dd37b) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:47 amDiamond, you do know how Obama won. He promised more tax cuts than Mccain did. Promised to get the deficit under control. And thus, people thought he would have a great economy.
He has raised taxes, will raise them much more, and has increased the deficit more than all other presidents combined. An thus, the economy is much, much worse than it was when he took over.
Bush had a huge economic disaster on 9/11. People remember all the democrat promises of disaster… but Bush succeeded in many ways that Obama has failed.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:50 amI am not defending Obama, Juan. Bush was an amazing president. I mean, to rid the world of every possible evil within 8 short years was truly remarkable. It is too bad that our idiotic peers had to vote a liberal into office and ruin the perfect world that Bush had created. I don’t understand why this country gets to vote at all, why can’t we just choose between a super conservative candidate and a super duper conservative candidate?
Jeffrey Diamond (fccb0b) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:56 amJuan – This one has a history of aggressively bad faith behavior. It will persist no matter what you say. The pathological problems it mus have in order to wake up, and pretend to be something it is not, have to be remarkable.
JD (7642d2) — 7/9/2009 @ 7:59 amJD, I can see that you’re right. Thanks.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:04 amJuan – Sometimes it is no joy being so damn right 😉
JD (7642d2) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:09 amI hate the administrations do-nothing stance on illegal immigration as much as the next guy, and I’m glad Arizona tries to do something about it, but Joe Arpaio is a fascist, plain and simple. his megalomaniacal disregard for the rule of law where it suits him and his buddies is a disgrace to our nations law enforcement professionals.
Jim (b315d1) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:12 amJD! I like that pun! Maybe I was wrong about your intelligence. I’ll bet with a little work you could work your way up to head caddy.
Jeffrey Diamond (fccb0b) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:15 amJim, Arpaio is no fascist. Obama is a Kenyan by birth. I think he’s afraid Joe will get the goods on him.
Also, who is Obama’s Homeland Securty Secretary? Janet “Vote For Me you Illegals” Napolotano who was Arpaio’s political enemy as Arizona’s open borders governor.
PCD (02f8c1) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:24 amJim, what’s the sheriff doing that goes beyond the law? Sincerely interested.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:26 amExcellent, PCD. Stick to your formula. It works for you. Forget about that pesky counterevidence to the Kenyan birth claim, because that doesn’t fit in with our narrative.
Jeffrey Diamond (fccb0b) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:26 amHonestly, I don’t really mind the idea of electing people born in other countries. I sincerely wish we had elected someone who grew up here and loved it here, but the birthplace is less important to me.
There is little doubt that Obama’s admin will play politics in who they investigate. They let those black panthers go, but are stopping Georgia from checking voter’s ID. And they are only getting started.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:29 amActually, he is just being consistent. In foreign policy, he refuses to “meddle” in Iran, but backs the invasion of Honduras to overthrow the legitimate government because it arrested and exiled an attempted dictator. In this country, he makes sure that his cronies get the “stimulus” money, ensures that the government does not meddle in private affairs by firing Inspectors General (is that the right plural?) and comes down hard on someone who actually tries to enforce the law.
If Eliot Ness were still in business, he would be trying to arrest him.
Sabba Hillel (153338) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:30 amThe attacks on Arpaio reek of ACORN pressure to keep as many potential voters, illegal or otherwise, in the democratic entitlement fold as possible. Sheriff Arpaio once told a complaining group of prisoners that they had it better than the Military did in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that I think about it, the prisoners in Gitmo have it better than most Americans.
Arpaio has withstood more worthwhile opponents than the current DOJ. He will prevail. The rest of the country needs to be on guard for released rapists, child abusers, pedophiles, murderers, and general ne’er do wells coddled by liberal judges. If that weren’t bad enough, the liberals still salivate at the prospect of disarming citizens. They would deprive the citizenry of the second ammendment right to arm themselves. Understand that to them we have no rights until we become victims. It then becomes a question, under our current judicial system, as to who is the “REAL” victim, the ‘perp’ with a twinky or not breast fed as a child defense or the hard-working middle class assault survivor.
Palin and Arpaio have much in common not the least of which is operating outside established parameters or business as usual. If the DOJ doesn’t like what Arpaio is doing then try and change the law. If the elites don’t like Palin being unpredictable then don’t tweak the nose of the dragon too many times. She may rear up and flame your butts! Kind of like what is happening in Sacramento with the budget. I guess the Gann initiative of long ago was a lesson unlearned to our representatives who apparently only represent themselves and their own self-interest.
vet66 (9d1bb3) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:32 amLet’s see…
They aggressively come after a Sheriff who enforces immigration laws, under the torturous guise of racial profiling…
But choose to drop the charges against the new black panthers in an easy slam dunk of a case of voter intimidation…
As well as rejecting Georgia’s voter ID measure since it, you know, violated minority rights and all…
I don’t know about you Mr. Patterico, but I’m really starting to have my doubts about whether Obama is a good man after all…
And he’s definately neither post-racial nor post-partisan…
Regards to All!
Bob (99fc1b) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:36 amJoe Arpaio is a fascist, plain and simple.
Arpaio is involved in a massive increase of government ownership and control over private corporations, while micromanaging the private behavior of Maricopa County citizens?
Complaints about Arpaio aren’t exactly new–Christ, the Phoenix New Times has been trying to get him thrown out for years–yet he somehow keeps getting re-elected time after time. Either people in the county are reasonably satisfied with his performance (even if he should have term-limited himself out a long time ago), or he’s got a heck of a deal with ACORN to keep him perpetually in office.
Another Chris (2d8013) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:36 amNot really. Unless you’re talking about Americans in prison, then a case could be made.
Stashiu3 (3fc50f) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:40 amSheriff Joe is a hero to all the AZ people who want illegals out of our state. They get too much free stuff, even though we voted against it several times. I would have voted for Joe if I lived in his county.
Jeffrey appears to be the opposition view to whatever is being discussed this morning. Hope you are getting some of that stimulus money for your hard work.
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:41 amwhy can’t we just
choosevote between a super conservative candidate and a super duper conservative candidate?Comment by Jeffrey Diamond — 7/9/2009 @ 7:56 am
Works for me. In fact, anything you can do to help this happen will be much appreciated. Yes, you can! Now go and do it. Thanks!
no one you know (7a9144) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:42 amI don’t trust Obama’s attitude on anything.
Comment by JD — 7/9/2009 @ 7:40 am
Word.
no one you know (7a9144) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:43 amI don’t have any doubts – the guy’s crooked. I’ve said so from the start. He sets off every bullshit alarm I have.
mojo (8096f2) — 7/9/2009 @ 8:50 ammojo…I agree with your assessment of Obama.
BTW, isn’t this investigation of Sheriff Joe from the same career folks who have given us the consent decree that rules the LAPD?
AD - RtR/OS! (fea34c) — 7/9/2009 @ 9:26 amyeah yeah citing wikipedia I know…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio
I have no problem with his attempts to cut down on the smuggling of illegal aliens. I am all for that. But he is just such a crappy law officer that I see any association of his with the fight against illegal immigration as a bad thing.
Jim (e28646) — 7/9/2009 @ 10:16 amWhile I see no evidence of the accusation that Arpaio is a fascist, there is plenty of evidence that the Obama regime uses fascist tactics whenever it wants. From the attacks on IGs to the “investigation” of Arpaio, Obama and his thugs will attempt to destroy any opposition.
Ken Hahn (055eb1) — 7/9/2009 @ 10:25 amhe is just such a crappy law officer that I see any association of his with the fight against illegal immigration as a bad thing.
Why do I doubt your motives ? Because I have a home in Arizona ?
Maybe that’s it. I know what I’m talking about.
Mike K (2cf494) — 7/9/2009 @ 10:29 am[…] your local Sheriff. Patterico has the latest on this […]
Gazzer’s Gabfest » The Sheriff vs Jimmy the Wonder-boy [ex] Governor (b98ad6) — 7/9/2009 @ 10:58 amI don’t know if this Sheriff is bad. Often, when I see a cop who acts like a politician, that’s an omen, but when I asked for some kind of evidence he was fascist, I was asking for some kind of accusation.
‘He’s lied about X’
‘He’s oppressed this guy’
‘He failed to live up to a promise’
‘He is a thief’
Instead, I get wikipedia. A list of controversies that just tell me that he’s controversial.
What makes him a bad cop?
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 11:09 amSheriff Joe has been reelected numerous times by the Maricopa County voters ech time by a very large margin. He is obviously doing something right. There are numerous politicians who are pandering to the illegal aliens. This video sums up the feelings of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department.
Stan Switek (b2907a) — 7/9/2009 @ 11:17 amIt is a must see video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNsEaxQFyxM
Maybe Arpaio put Jim in his tent city and made him wear pink underwear wile working on a chaingang cleaning up streets and highways in Maricopa county.
That would explain Jim.
PCD (02f8c1) — 7/9/2009 @ 11:17 amMayor Gordon accuses the Maricopa County Police Department in Arizona for racial profiling. Mayor Gordon is standing with activist groups. The police department arrest people for criminal defenses, illegal immigration, etc. They are put on the line against the illegal immigrants that are coming in from Mexico, and they are the only line of defense when they come into the state.
More info here: http://www.firecoalition.com/article/…
Based on a one-year in-depth study, a researcher estimates there are about 240,000 illegal immigrant sex offenders in the United States who have had an average of four victims each.:
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?A…
In April 2005, the Government Accountability Office released a report on a study of 55,322 illegal aliens incarcerated in federal, state, and local facilities during 2003. It found the following: * The 55,322 illegal aliens studied represented a total of 459,614 arrests some eight arrests per illegal alien; * Their arrests represented a total of about 700,000 criminal offenses some 13 offenses per illegal alien; * 36 percent had been arrested at least five times before.
Stan Switek (b2907a) — 7/9/2009 @ 11:21 amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNsEaxQFyxM
If it’s just racial profiling that was Jim’s charge, then I wish he’d have said so.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 11:26 amThe DOJ going after Sheriff Arpaio is like having two weeks of Karate lessons and then insulting an Ultimate Fighting champ . The idea seems cool and dramatic. Then your nightmare begins. Think Oliver North Iran-contra hearings. The bureaucrats had no idea what they were in for.
Todd (0c8993) — 7/9/2009 @ 12:07 pmHans A. von Spakovsky notes that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has a history of ideologically charged investigations.
Karl (f07e38) — 7/9/2009 @ 12:43 pmWell, Nancy Pelosi thinks that enforcing the law is un-American, so perhaps, to the liberal way of thinking, law enforcement personnel are all un-American?
tyree (158c98) — 7/9/2009 @ 12:51 pmWhat I know of Sherriff Arpaio I generally like, though I am usually suspicious of someone who seems so eager for media coverage. I do really appreciate the way he dealt with Shaquille O’Neal last year. It’s not easy to stand up to a celebrity (as all of us here in Los Angeles know), so I admire Arpaio for not blinking.
JVW (f8d5c0) — 7/9/2009 @ 12:57 pmBut I don’t trust Obama’s attitude on illegal immigration. Enforcement of current immigration laws seems to be a pretty straight-forward matter. An illegal alien in the U.S. is breaking U.S. law and is subject to arrest and deportation. Yet businesses and cities across America, like Los Angeles, act as ‘sanctuary cities’ and do little to see the law is enforced. Rather than assail President Obama’s position it may be wiser to look locally and ask why the law of the land in not being enforced and why illegals keep coming in. It’s a problem that’s rising from the bottom up. Somebody is hiring them. Someone is housing them. Someone id feeding them. And taxpayers are ending to their health needs in ERs across the land for free. The business community is equally complicit in breaking the law.
DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 7/9/2009 @ 1:06 pmDCSCA, but once anyone enforces the laws… the DOJ investigates them.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 1:10 pmby the way, who know that Shaq was a rapper? The guy always appealed to me on the court as an underdog, but he never spoke very… rhythmically.
JVW, I sure as hell wish the rest of our government worked that way. It’s populism in Arizona, and you’re right that it’s not the perfect tone for a leader to set, but I’m happy with that story.
Juan (bd4b30) — 7/9/2009 @ 1:12 pmJim: I have lived in AZ 23 years and have no idea what you mean by his crappy law enforcement abilities. Could we have some examples or do you just not like him. If that’s the case, just say it outright.
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 7/9/2009 @ 1:13 pmGiven how a large percentage of voters of Mexico last Sunday remained true to form and, in spite of huge amounts of crime, corruption and poverty dating back decades, elected a bunch of politicians who are their version of America’s Democrat-Party hacks, I’m sure Obama, et al, would be quite disappointed to see potential future voters in the US discouraged in any way, in any manner possible, from entering its southern border.
Mark (411533) — 7/9/2009 @ 9:44 pmIt is fascinating to witness the budget debacle currently exercising Californians. Facing a $26B deficit painful cuts are a certainty unless its citizens can start using their IOU’s to buy groceries. Several billion of that budget shortfall goes to illegals and their U.S. citizen children born here. Arguably many of them pay taxes but in no way do those taxes exceed the amount of services they use.
We have been talking about that for years in Arizona. Sanctuary cities are a joke. Can Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, et al, continue this ponzi scheme with unemployment at 11% in their state? Time to get a clue, make some hard decisions that are long overdue and discontinue the assault on reason that pesonifies liberal spending.
The steady drip/drip barely discernible in the background is the sound of business packing up and leaving California for Nevada, Arizona, and Texas where some semblance of reason prevails in the marketplace.
Time to choose between liberal socialism that assumes someone somwhere will pay for their utopia and entrepreneurs who create jobs without some political hack telling them how to run their business.
vet66 (9d1bb3) — 7/10/2009 @ 9:11 amThe problem with that vet66, is what happened to Colorado, New Hampshire, etc. They run away from the disaster they create, then vote to create it all over again in their new home. I’d prefer the locusts stay in California and not swarm my state.
Cowboy is a compliment (874456) — 7/10/2009 @ 3:49 pm#34
Nice comment. The figures in California are even worse for illegal aliens.
Given Obama’s DOJ shutdown of fraud investigations against various Dhiimirat operatives and politicians, his actions against his own IGs, and turning a blind eye to voter fraud and intimidation cases any DOJ invetsigation falls into the same category as the Ramos and Compean farse of the Bush administration.
Thomas Jackson (8ffd46) — 7/10/2009 @ 11:38 pm