(AFP)
Jul 19, 2012
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is in court Thursday to face allegations that his office engaged in systematic racial profiling, violating the civil rights of the Latino community and others caught up in the county's sweeping measures on immigration.
Arpaio faces a class action lawsuit that "charges that Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") have unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops. MCSO's practices discriminate on the basis of race, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and have resulted in prolonged traffic stops and baseless extended detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
"At trial we will prove that Sheriff Arpaio's fixation on immigration enforcement and his equating of, quote, 'illegal' with 'Latino' has resulted in systemic civil rights violations," said Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Regardless of the verdict, similar anti-immigrant behavior is not likely to end, because, as Michelle Chen writes, Arpaio is merely "a symptom of a lesion that runs deep in America's political culture."
The trial ends Aug. 2.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is in court Thursday to face allegations that his office engaged in systematic racial profiling, violating the civil rights of the Latino community and others caught up in the county's sweeping measures on immigration.
Arpaio faces a class action lawsuit that "charges that Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") have unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops. MCSO's practices discriminate on the basis of race, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and have resulted in prolonged traffic stops and baseless extended detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
"At trial we will prove that Sheriff Arpaio's fixation on immigration enforcement and his equating of, quote, 'illegal' with 'Latino' has resulted in systemic civil rights violations," said Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Regardless of the verdict, similar anti-immigrant behavior is not likely to end, because, as Michelle Chen writes, Arpaio is merely "a symptom of a lesion that runs deep in America's political culture."
The trial ends Aug. 2.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is in court Thursday to face allegations that his office engaged in systematic racial profiling, violating the civil rights of the Latino community and others caught up in the county's sweeping measures on immigration.
Arpaio faces a class action lawsuit that "charges that Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") have unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops. MCSO's practices discriminate on the basis of race, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and have resulted in prolonged traffic stops and baseless extended detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
"At trial we will prove that Sheriff Arpaio's fixation on immigration enforcement and his equating of, quote, 'illegal' with 'Latino' has resulted in systemic civil rights violations," said Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Regardless of the verdict, similar anti-immigrant behavior is not likely to end, because, as Michelle Chen writes, Arpaio is merely "a symptom of a lesion that runs deep in America's political culture."
The trial ends Aug. 2.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.