Immigration debate has intensified as of late in Phoenix Arizona. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is regarded as the ultimate law enforcement officer when it comes to illegal immigration. This man seems to go above and beyond the call to harass and intimidate and persecute Arizona’s undocumented population. He is scorned by the likes of the ACLU and other civil rights organizations. But he is hailed as a hero by the hard right who believe that the undocumented alien is affecting the quality of life in the Phoenix area.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio likes to brag that he has been reelected five times in Maricopa County. Unfortunately there is a hard-core racist anti-immigrant faction in Arizona as well as other parts of the country that see Sheriff Arpaio as some sort of hero. I have had the opportunity to listen to
Sheriff Arpaio on several occasions on podcasts news programs and each time during interviews he is very recalcitrant, defensive and most importantly an unrepentant oppressor of undocumented aliens in Maricopa County Arizona.

My question is how much longer this will go on? As long as you have a faction of the population who sees this man is eligible for sainthood in his relentless pursuit of undocumented aliens. It appears that Mr. Arpaio has shredded the United States Constitution and thumbed his nose at federal authorities. This is being perceived by most sane people as extreme anti-immigration persecution.

I believe at some point Sheriff Arpaio will be held to account for these racial profiling type raids that he conducts on anyone looking Hispanic or appears to be undocumented. There’ve been countless reports that Sheriff Arpaio and his goon squad kicked down doors hauling off legal residents as well as some undocumented in these raids. Countless people have come forward showing that they are legal residents of Maricopa County and were unfortunate enough to be in the crosshairs of Sheriff Arpaio’s anti-immigrant posse.

At some point Sheriff Arpaio will cross the line and he will be brought to justice are held to account for his actions. Moreover, it will force the Obama administration to look at and review current immigration policy or reform. The dialogue on immigration has taken a backseat to more pressing issues like two wars the economy and health reform. I’m sure sooner or later immigration reform will be brought back to the fore. Ironically, Mr. Arapaio’s parents were both immigrants to this county! Go figure.