Obama's war on Sheriff Joe Arpaio

American Thinker ^ | 08/04/09 | Rick Moran

[freespirited]

 

You may have heard of Maricopa County, AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio who has been a one man border enforcement machine - doing the job the feds refuse to do.

Well, Joe got himself in a spot of trouble with Obama administration immigration enforcement officials at Homeland Security by rounding up 13 illegal immigrants and trying to deliver them to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

One would think that ICE would be grateful to Sheriff Joe for doing their work for them. Not according to this editorial in the Washington Times. It seems that in the end, Joe was forced to let the illegals go - and ICE lied about the reason why:

Sheriff Arpaio blamed ICE. However, Matthew Chandler, Washington-based spokesman for the federal Department of Homeland Security (ICE's parent agency), issued a statement saying that "the determination to release these individuals lies solely within the [sheriff's office].... [On July 23], ICE gave the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office permission to interview the three individuals in question, arrest, and initiate removal proceedings -- instead Sheriff Arpaio released them." Homeland Security's story doesn't pan out. The sheriff's deputies taped the calls to ICE. The recordings show that ICE repeatedly refused permission to take custody of the illegals.

"Right now we cannot authorize you to take her into custody," an ICE official said to one deputy about a woman who had admitted to being illegal. On another call, ICE said: "The only way we can [authorize detainment] is if he has a criminal record." A frustrated deputy replied, "We're just gonna kick him loose then." ICE said: "OK."

The obvious misinformation from the administration might be dismissed ordinarily as a spokesman's one-time goof except that it follows a pattern of misbehavior by Obama appointees that seems intended to undercut the controversial sheriff. On May 29, Arpaio attorney Robert N. Driscoll, former chief of staff at the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, sent a complaint letter to both Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. His letter, amply documented, accuses the two federal departments of "a serious violation of ethical standards of conduct" with regard to three federal "investigations" into Sheriff Arpaio's practices.

Within weeks of Obama taking office, three separate federal investigations were begun by the feds looking into Sheriff Joe's administration. And now we have Homeland Security lying through its teeth and trying to blame him for them not doing their job?

Not much politicizing going on in law enforcement, huh?

[freespirited]

Only fools mess with Joe.

[FreepShop1]

We are doomed.

[missnry]

Careful Joe, Obama might come out and say you are acting stupidly. You may want to get your order in for what beer you will be having at the whitehouse.

[presently no screen name]

Joe should send him some pink boxers.

[Trod Upon]

Perhaps Joe should arrest 0bama. Some of those Mexicans have stronger paper trails than he does.

[BradyLS]

If one enters the country illegally, doesn’t that establish their criminal record?

[Paladin2]

"Joe should send him some pink boxers."

And Joe should make Zer0 camp out on the South Lawn until Zer0 coughs up his real BC.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

LMAO!!!!! You get the crown with that post. Hehehe!

[Defiant]

Joe should be charged with Obstruction of Subversion of National Identity.

[epow]

My most serious frustration with Bush was his refusal to even try stopping the flood of illegals across our borders. However, I assumed from the get-go that Obamajammamama would be far worse on that issue, and as time goes on I am beginning to see that my assumption was correct.

[freespirited]

If one enters the country illegally, doesn’t that establish their criminal record?

If I have this straight, you have to catch them in the act of crossing the border to charge them criminally. Once they are in the country, it is a civil violation ("unlawful presence"). It carries no jail time; the penalty is simply deportation.

When I first learned this, it really bothered me but as I thought about it, I concluded it's actually for the better. If unlawful presence were criminalized, we'd have to spend a fortune on public defenders, incarceration, appeals, more complex criminal trials, etc. Bottom line: deporting illegals would take even longer than it does now.

[BradyLS]

That’s a good point.

[Irish Eyes]

It carries no jail time; the penalty is simply deportation.

Feds ill not let Joe deport them. Just catch and release. Kind of like fishing.

:(

[Slimey]

Don’t deport’em. Shoot them and hang their carcases on the fence as a warning.

[Irish Eyes]

ill=will

[ElectronVolt]

If one enters the country illegally, doesn’t that establish their criminal record?

Oh, certainly not! That makes them "undocumented workers." It sounds like such a simple matter with that term, as if they're just missing some documents due to misplacing them or some government SNAFU.

[Prokopton]

If I have this straight, you have to catch them in the act of crossing the border to charge them criminally. Once they are in the country, it is a civil violation ("unlawful presence"). It carries no jail time; the penalty is simply deportation.

You don't have it straight.

Entering the Country at other than an official entry point or without the proper papers is a crime with a penalty of 6 months in prison. A second violation is a felony with a penalty of 2 years in prison. A person does not have to be caught crossing the border to be charged with this crime although it would be easier to prove if they were.

It's amazing that after all of the dialog about illegal aliens there is still so much misunderstanding.

It's clear, regardless what idiots like Giuliani have said, that illegal aliens are criminals, and many are felons, just by the act of entering this Country illegally.

[Dick Bachert]

According to Larry Sinclair, Obama already wears pink boxers.

[444Flyer]

"Listen you Chicago Punk Thugs!!! I've handled MUCH worse than your likes!"

[444Flyer]

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time in Sheriff Joe's jurisdiction...no...don't do it.