Arizona Sheriff Vows to Continue Immigration Sweeps Despite Federal Downgrade/Current Event 3

Background: The issue of illegal immigration seems to have taken a back seat to health care and the economy, among other things, with the Obama administration.  However, the issue is still greatly affecting our nation, especially in states that border Mexico.  Local law enforcement in these states has generally been given permission by the federal government to enforce federal immigration laws.

Summary: Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has long made illegal immigrants the main target of all his arrests.  He has assembled a large group of policemen whose sole job is the tracking of illegal immigrants.  However, his methods of making these arrests and the subsequent treatment of  the illegals have received much scrutiny for being too harsh.  To address law hard-line law enforcement officers like Arpaio, the Department of Homeland Security recently revised an immigration law enforcement policy, taking away Arpaio and other sheriffs' authority to make such arrests.  Arpaio has vowed to proceed with his illegal immigrant sweep planned for Friday despite this new federal mandate.

Analysis: Sheriff Arpaio seems motivated by more than a sheriff's usual desire to enforce laws in his crusade against illegal immigration.  The fact that Arpaio puts the vast majority of the resources of his office into tracking illegal immigrants shows that he has become somewhat of an ineffective sheriff.  It looks as if Arpaio has stepped outside of his state powers.

Editorial:  Sheriff Arpaio's war against illegal immigration is obviously based on his own racist tendencies.  The man has shown over and over the crazed renegade that he is.  The true problem lies with the residents of Maricopa County, who elect Arpaio over and over.  A man with no respect for the federal law is not fit to enforce his interpretation of state law.  While I agree with Arpaio in the sense that the federal government is not doing nearly enough to stop illegal immigration and enforce their laws, Arpaio has taken his own fight to too much of an extreme, and should be stripped of his office as Sheriff if he goes ahead with his raid this Friday.

Source:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/12/arizona-sheriff-vows-continue-immigration-sweeps-despite-federal-downgrade/