Arizona’s ‘Sheriff Joe,’ Immigration Firebrand, Squares Off With Feds
The Justice Department upped its political and legal pressure on Arizona and its most notable lawman Thursday when it sued Maricopa County and Sheriff Joe Arpaio for allegedly failing to adequately cooperate with a civil rights investigation that predates the state’s controversial anti-immigration measures. Although the lawsuit — filed in federal court in Phoenix — is not directly connected to the more recent immigration controversy surrounding the passage of S.B. 1070, Arpaio has been an outspoken critic of federal immigration policy and a vocal supporter of the state’s new enforcement measures.
