Arizona sheriff partially settles DOJ civil rights suit

The Department of Justice announced Friday that it has partially settled a civil rights lawsuit with Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County over claims they unlawfully detained Hispanic immigrants during raids of local business.

{mosads}The DOJ claimed Arpaio violated the Fourth and 14th amendments when he unlawfully detained immigrants, and violated the First Amendment when he retaliated against those who criticized him and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

The sheriff’s office has agreed to submit an established set of written policies and protocols to the Civil Rights Division for review before conducting any worksite raids to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable laws and constitutional protections, and prohibit retaliation against individuals who engage in First Amendment-protected activities, like publicly criticizing Arpaio or the MCSO.

In settling separate claims that it failed to provide adequate language access for limited English-proficient Hispanics in jails, the MCSO must ensure that limited-English-proficient Hispanic inmates have adequate language access and are protected from unlawful, national-origin-based discrimination. 

Arpio has been an outspoken opponent of President Obama’s move last year to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation, even challenging the president’s actions in court. He is now waiting for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to rule on his appeal of the lower court’s decision to dismiss the case.