Sheriff Joe Under Fire




From CIS:

The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit against Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio sets a new low for the politicization of DOJ.

Neither President Nixon's Justice Department during the Watergate era nor the Bill Clinton-Janet Reno abuses of DOJ's power (e.g., summary firing of all U.S. attorneys, the invasion at Waco, Bill Lann Lee's Civil Rights Division activism) quite compares with the lengths to which Attorney General Eric Holder, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Tom Perez, and President Obama have gone to pursue a political vendetta.[…]

The administration seems to regard the current immigration laws as unacceptable. So political officials have systematically refused to carry out the laws on the books. Consider the brazen federal lawsuits the Obama administration has brought against Arizona and several other states' laws dealing with illegal immigrants. They have been granting administrative amnesty to "DREAMers" and other illegal aliens who have committed crimes. They have ordered Border Patrol officers to "stand down" when they see illegals, manipulating the border apprehensions statistics to make it seem as if fewer illegals are entering. They have neutered the 287(g) program that was in such high demand among state and local police agencies when the administration came to office.

Now the administration is trying to make an example of Sheriff Arpaio, one of the toughest local law enforcement officials in the country and wildly popular in one of the country's toughest localities — where illegal immigration and its worst consequences intersect. He is a highly capable law officer with a highly effective department and a refreshing backbone for someone who campaigns for election, plus the courage to stand up to cold-blooded Mexican cartels and cold-blooded Washington-Chicago politicos alike. This is a vendetta because Obama administration officials have made it personal.

It's disturbing that this conflict even exists.