Stop Immigrant Bashing -- Stop Sheriff Arpaio

Sheriff Arpaio in Maricopa County, AZ has taken racial profiling and violating human rights to the level of a rein of terror. He has deputized volunteer posses that set up check points in ski masks, chased janitors with dogs and guns, and most recently marched undocumented inmates in a chain gang into a tent city he erected in the desert and surrounded with an electric fence. We are calling on former Arizona Governor and now Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to take away Sheriff Arpaio's ability to intimidate our communities and preventing the spread of his egregious by immediately severing the 287(g) agreement between his office and federal immigration authorities and repealing the program in general.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop Sheriff Arpaio's Abuse of Power

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

We are asking you to terminate the 287g memorandum of understanding program between local law enforcement and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Recently, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made famous the dangers of local police departments enforcing federal immigration laws. As the former Governor of Arizona, we are certain you are aware of Sheriff Arpaio's egregious abuses of the law and the subsequent 2,700 lawsuits filed against him.

We are asking you to terminate the 287g memorandum of understanding program between local law enforcement and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Recently, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made famous the dangers of local police departments enforcing federal immigration laws. As the former Governor of Arizona, we are certain you are aware of Sheriff Arpaio's egregious abuses of the law and the subsequent 2,700 lawsuits filed against him.

When local authorities attempt to enforce complicated federal immigration laws, there is a great risk of civil rights violations that endanger the public trust. Residents who are victims or witnesses to crimes become hesitant to approach law enforcement and law enforcement becomes prone to policing based on skin color or Spanish accents as we've seen in Maricopa County. Sheriff Arpaio is an example of the worst that is possible under the 287g agreements. His volunteer posses, sidewalks check-points, and armed pursuits of janitors has turned Maricopa County into one of the worst sites of racial profiling and human rights violations in the country.

Recently, the House Judiciary Committee and Rep. John Conyers have called for a Congressional and Department of Justice investigation into Sheriff Arpaio's actions. However, there are 67 such agreements between local law enforcement and ICE causing similar fear across the country including Waukegan, IL and Monmouth County, NJ.

As the Homeland Security Secretary, we ask that you end this dangerous program starting with taking away Sheriff Arpaio's power to terrorize Arizona communities under the guise of enforcing federal immigration laws.

We need real Change in Arizona. Our communities cannot endure more sweeping raids and humiliating chain gangs. We need you to use your power to terminate Sheriff Arpaio's 287(g) immediately and freeze expansion of this and similar programs such as Secure Communities and repeal 287(g) in general.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
February 16, 2009


Background Information

Under the Bush Administration, local law enforcement agencies gained the power for the first time in history to enforce federal civil immigration laws. As a result of such mixing of police and immigration enforcement, witnesses to crimes become hesitant to approach police while law enforcement becomes prone to racial profiling. Sheriff Arpaio in Maricopa County, Arizona is the worst example of the dangers of the 287(g) program.

The New York Times has named Sheriff Arpaio "America's Worst Sheriff" for a reason. He has deputized volunteer posses who have set up check points with ski-masks in Latino neighborhoods and pursued janitors with dogs. Most recently, he marched all the undocumented inmates from the county jail in a chain gang into a tent city in the desert surrounded by an electric fence where he says he'll help the state's budget problem by cutting off health care to the prisoners.

His escalation of terror against immigrant and Latino communities amounts to nothing less than a Human Rights crisis which must be stopped. At the same time, 67 other cities have also signed such agreements with many more considering doing so. We need your help in stopping this dangerous trend. Please tell Secretary Napolitano she must act to stop Sheriff Arpaio's abuse of power. She must take away his ability to utilize the guise of enforcing immigration law to terrorize our communities by severing his 287(g) agreement, freezing expansion of the agreements, and repealing the program in general.