Remember Sheriff Joe?
He's the racist, publicity-loving Sheriff accused of forcing his immigrant detainees to march in chains to a segregated tent city in the Arizona desert, surrounded by electric fencing.
You raised your voice against Sheriff Joe's abuses - and Washington heard it. This week Congress is holding a hearing to investigate the tactics of local officials like Arpaio, who trample on the civil rights of whole communities.
We want to make sure that the Members of Congress holding this hearing ask hard-hitting questions, and we need your help to do that. Sign our letter to Congress -- and ask them to get answers to your questions:
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Dear Member of Congress:
I am glad to hear that you are investigating the civil rights abuses of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and other local law enforcement agents who are trampling on people’s rights in attempts to enforce federal immigration law.
I strongly believe that fixing our broken immigration system is Washington’s responsibility. I also believe that the worst of the Bush Administration immigration policies, like the 287g program, which delegates immigration enforcement to local elected officials, need to end immediately.
Human rights are universal, and no public official in America should be allowed to flagrantly abuse the civil rights of anyone. I find it especially disturbing that the federal government is paying Sheriff Arpaio and other local officials like him to engage in such tactics.
As your constituent, I respectfully request that you ask questions that get to the bottom of several problems with the local enforcement of immigration laws. Please ask this question, in regards to the local enforcement of our broken immigration laws: