Arizona Sheriff Known for Immigration Crackdowns Takes Stand, Addresses Ku Klux Klan Comment

Today, Arizona sheriff, Joe Arpaio, known nationally for his hardline stance on immigration took the witness stand and faced allegations that his trademark immigration sweeps amounted to racial profiling against Latinos. Arpaio was asked about a statement in which he called undocumented immigrants “dirty”. A group of Latinos who claimed they were discriminated against filed the civil lawsuit against the sheriff and wrote an autobiography titled “America’s Toughest Sheriff”. Arpaio has long denied racial profiling allegations and stated that he does not arrest people because of their skin color. The plaintiffs are not seeking money damages in the suit. Instead they are seeking a declaration that Arpaio’s office racially profiles Latinos and an order requiring policy changes. The trial which began last week is expected to close next week, and will be decided by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ariz-sheriff-known-for-immigration-crackdowns-to-take-stand-in-suit-alleging-racial-profiling/2012/07/24/gJQAMsO05W_story.html