PHOENIX (AP)
-- A federal judge ruled Friday that the office of America's
self-proclaimed toughest sheriff systematically singled out Latinos in
its trademark immigration patrols, marking the first finding by a court
that the agency racially profiles people.
The
142-page decision by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow in Phoenix backs up
allegations that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's critics have made
for years that his officers rely on race in their immigration
enforcement.
Snow also ruled Arpaio's deputies unreasonably prolonged the detentions of people who were pulled over.
A
small group of Latinos alleged in a lawsuit that Arpaio's deputies
pulled over some vehicles only to make immigration status checks.
The
group also accused the sheriff of ordering some immigration patrols not
based on reports of crime but rather on letters and emails from
Arizonans who complained about people with dark skin congregating in an
area or speaking Spanish. The group's attorneys pointed out that Arpaio
sent thank-you notes to some people who wrote the complaints.
The
sheriff has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying his deputies only
stop people when they think a crime has been committed and that he
wasn't the person who picked the location of the patrols. His lawyers
also said there was nothing wrong with the thank-you notes.
Cecillia
D. Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants' Right Project, called the
ruling a "great day for all the people of Maricopa County."
Arpaio's lead attorney Tim Casey was reading Snow's decision Friday afternoon before commenting on it.
The
sheriff, known for jailing inmates in tents and making prisoners wear
pink underwear, started doing immigration enforcement six years as
Arizona voters grew frustrated with the state's role as the nation's
busiest illegal entryway.
The ruling
represents a victory for those who pushed the lawsuit. They weren't
seeking money damages but a rather declaration that Arpaio's office
racially profiles and an order that requires it to make policy changes.
The sheriff won't face jail time or fines as a result of the ruling.
