CRITICS OF A 2010 IMMIGRATION
law in Arizona worried that it
would subject Latinos to racial
profi ling. One group opposing
the law sponsored this billboard
in Phoenix to draw attention to
their concerns. Supporters of
the law, such as Phoenix sheriff
Joe Arpaio, argued that strong
measures were necessary to
discourage illegal immigration.389
J
OE ARPAIO OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, IS THE self-described “toughest
sheriff in America.” He was also the target of a U.S. Justice Department
investigation of discriminatory practices in the enforcement of immigration
laws. He is either a hero or villain, depending on one’s views concerning illegal
immigration. Supporters see him as a courageous fi ghter who enforces the law
that the federal government seems unable or unwilling to do. Critics see him
as a bigoted publicity hound who abuses the civil rights of nonwhites living in
Maricopa County, Arizona.
A Justice Department report issued in 2011 concluded that Arpaio’s county
sheriff offi ce has “a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias against Latinos...
that violates the Constitution and federal law.”^1 In an example of “egregious
racial profi ling,” Latino drivers were four to nine times more likely to be stopped
than non-Latino drivers.^2 Sheriffs used minor traffi c violations, such as failure
to signal a lane change, to pull over Latinos and ask for their documents.
One incident that drew international attention was a sweep of a town of about
6,000 Yaqui Indians and Latinos outside of Phoenix. Over two days, more than
100 deputies conducted hundreds of searches, netting nine undocumented
immigrants. Subsequently one report said, “The community was so scarred by
the event that families are still terrifi ed to leave their homes when they see the
Sheriff ’s patrol cars.”^3
Sheriff Arpaio defended his offi ce, saying, “We are proud of the work we have
done to fi ght illegal immigration.”^4 One of the most popular politicians in Arizona,
Arpaio has been re-elected four times since taking offi ce in 1993. All the