Justice Department Sues Country’s “Toughest Sheriff” Joe Arpaio

Maricopa County Sherrif Joe Arpaio - Photo: Cobalt123/flickr

Maricopa County Sherrif Joe Arpaio. (Photo: Cobalt123/flickr)

For 17 months, the federal government has been requesting that Sheriff Joe Arpaio hand over his records for a civil-rights investigation into racial profiling in Arizona.  On September 2, it finally sued to gain access to those documents. The Justice Department is investigating whether Arpaio is using unconstitutional searches and seizures, jail policies and racial profiling in his self-proclaimed crusade against undocumented immigrants. In the lawsuit, which names Arpaio, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Maricopa County, the Justice Department says Arpaio has refused to cooperate in their investigation–but Arpaio alleges he has fully complied and called the suit a “ruse” to get back at him and Arizona.

Fi2W’s Valeria Fernandez was on PRI’s The Takeaway to discuss the situation. Listen here:

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