Sheriff Joe Arpaio has over 2,700 lawsuits against him, a history of virulently anti-immigrant and anti-Latino tactics that are violating the civil rights of citizens and non-citizens alike and leaving innocent children without their caretakers. While Arpaio violates the civil rights of Latino working families, there are 40,000 felony warrants outstanding in his jurisdiction. Arpaio has fostered a climate in which real criminals roam free while hard-working immigrants live in fear. LCLAA is joining America's Voice in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to begin a federal investigation into his tactics, to give Sheriff Arpaio the attention he really deserves.
Sheriffs should be held accountable for fighting crime, not rewarded for spreading fear. Let's tell the Attorney General that we request an immediate Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his appalling tactics.
Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that you direct your office to investigate Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, for gross civil rights violations in the name of immigration enforcement.
No official is above the law, and yet Sheriff Arpaio has engaged in racial profiling and civil rights abuses for years with impunity.
The case against the publicity-hungry Sheriff is well documented. Joe Arpaio has made a mockery of our justice system by:
-Relying heavily on racial profiling and double standards: routinely stopping drivers for minor violations and only forcing "Latino-looking" drivers to produce Social Security cards.
-Engaging in sidewalk crime sweeps in low-crime communities, detaining those who cannot prove their citizenship status on the spot, while allowing dangerous felons to roam free.
-Promoting terrible detention conditions that have been condemned by health agencies and human rights organizations.
-His prisons have been stripped of their health standards accreditation, the Mayor of Phoenix and other law enforcement officials have denounced his tactics, the Governor of Arizona has pulled some of his key funding, and over 2,700 lawsuits have been filed against him. Meanwhile, crime has surged in Maricopa County. The office of the Sheriff has over 40,000 outstanding warrants for real felons that it simply hasn't had time to tackle.
Mr. Attorney General, elected officials are subject to the laws of this nation. Sheriffs should be held accountable for fighting crime, not rewarded for spreading fear. We request an immediate Department of Justice investigation into Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his appalling tactics.
Signed by:
[Your name]
[Your address]
