AG Holder Proves His Cowardice by Investigating Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Sometimes we Americans are too soft. We so desperately want to help people that we end up hurting ourselves. We did it with welfare, we do it in the war on terror, and we do it when it comes to Illegal immigration. Too many people on the liberal side of the fence argue that illegal immigration is a racial issue. Those of us that want to protect the US boarders inspired by racism, trying to keep out Hispanics. This is simply not true. Illegal immigration is a Law and Order Issue and a anti-terrorism issue. Hence the word ILLEGAL immigration.

I find it incredible that the stimulus bill included had loop hole that would allow Illegal aliens get some of the jobs. Immigration has become such a "hot potato" that many policemen in towns/cities along the border refuse to enforce the laws. One of the few lawmen that try to protect our boarders is Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Sheriff Joe has become famous for zealously enforcing the law. And his reward came this week when he got a letter from the justice department informing that he was under investigation for "patterns" of discriminatory police practices and unconstitutional searches and seizures. Proving once again that Attorney General Holder is a Coward:

Harassing A Lawman

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Immigration: At a time when our border is becoming a war zone, something's a bit suspect about the Justice Department suddenly harassing a border-state sheriff who zealously enforces the law.

Last Tuesday, the Justice Department notified Joe Arpaio, the top lawman in Maricopa County, Ariz., including Phoenix, that his department is under investigation for "patterns" of discriminatory police practices and unconstitutional searches and seizures. The letter offered zero specifics.

But we'd guess those specifics closely match the radical agenda of community organizers like La Raza, ACORN and other government-funded immigration lobbyists, all of whom launched a coordinated campaign "message" at about the same time.

Congress, meanwhile, has a witch hunt of its own going against Arpaio that popped up about the same time. This too is strange, because Arpaio has been at it since 1993 and hasn't changed a bit.

Sure, like Rush Limbaugh, Arpaio's an easy target. He's bombastic and carries out his duties with gusto. That's why he's popular with Arizona voters and a target of open-border activists.

We trust that Sheriff Arpaio is more than able to defend himself against these vague allegations. But to go after him at a time like this also strikes us as being an egregiously misplaced priority.

As everyone knows, there's a war coming up from Mexico that is fast spilling over into the United States. Arpaio's Phoenix now has the second-highest kidnapping rate in the world. It's a war all right, linked to the very smuggling crimes that Arpaio is fighting.

Going after him now sends a disturbing message about U.S. priorities to Mexico's organized criminals. They'll profit from an enfeebled law enforcement effort in that state, which is what this Justice bid would do.

Arpaio's department is the largest participant in the 287(g) federal program that lets local police departments help enforce federal immigration laws. His deputies cooperate with federal agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that break up smuggling rings. Since 2006, Arpaio has handed over 22,616 illegal immigrants to Immigration for deportation.

Maricopa deputies have also cracked down on those who ship illegal immigrants to sweatshops and other slave settings — scooping up 1,250 of them. The deputies enforce federal law as well by turning in illegal immigrants who commit other crimes — about 1,582 in all.

While Arpaio annoys the illegal immigration lobby, he frightens Mexico's smugglers and cuts into their business. The reality is that by going after him with lawsuits, smugglers get a very big obstacle to their U.S. operations removed.

Make no mistake: The violent criminal enterprises Mexico is fighting are the same ones smuggling meth, cocaine and illegal immigrants.

At best, whoever wants Joe in jail over civil rights violations doesn't think the laws Arpaio struggles to enforce are as important as satisfying special interest groups.

It amounts to politics at the expense of national security. And wittingly or not, it does the cartels' bidding. Using the fig leaf of "human rights violations" to defang the cops is something Medellin cartel cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar pioneered at the height of his power in the early 1990s. It ought to be seen for the ruse that it is.