Justice Department Sues Sheriff Joe Arpaio Over Immigration Raids

September 2nd 2010

The United States Department of Justice has sued Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. DOJ alleges that Sheriff Arpaio has refused to hand over documents to federal investigators regarding his immigration raids and crime sweeps.

Text from DOJ Announcement:

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Maricopa County, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for refusing full cooperation with the department’s investigation of alleged national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination in programs that receive federal funds, and also requires grant recipients to cooperate with investigations of discrimination by providing access to documents, facilities and staff. MCSO signed contractual assurance agreements as a condition of receiving federal funds, and promised that it would cooperate with investigations of alleged discrimination.

According to the DOJ the lawsuit was filed after it exhausted all cooperative measures to gain access to the documents. The investigation alleges that the sheriff's office has engaged in discrimination specifically against Hispanics. The fact that the sheriff's office has received federal funds, they are required to cooperate with investigations such as this one.

"It is unfortunate that the department was forced to resort to litigation to gain access to public documents and facilities," Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division, said in a statement.