In Phoenix today, NCLR became the first national organization to demand the resignation of Joe Arpaio from the office of Sheriff of Maricopa County.
“This isn’t personal, it’s about performance. The Department of Justice’s findings confirm that Arpaio has created a hostile climate for Latinos—citizens and noncitizens alike,” said NCLR President and CEO, Janet Murguía. “But numerous reports also confirm that Arpaio has endangered the safety of every resident of Maricopa County by failing in his basic obligation to effectively enforce the law. By any measure, he should go.”
Arpaio is known for discriminating and mistreating Latinos in Maricopa County. According to the damning Department of Justice report released in December, the discriminatory practices of his office against Hispanics includes unlawful stops, detentions, and arrests of Latinos, as well as discriminatory treatment against those who speak limited English and were therefore punished and denied vital services.
“Arpaio must step down from his position and allow new leadership to repair the damage done and restore public confidence in local law enforcement,” said NCLR Board Chair and Maricopa County resident Daniel R. Ortega Jr.
NCLR joins a long list of elected officials and organizations who have called on Arpaio’s resignation, including Citizens for a Better Arizona; Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox; Respect Respeto, a local nonprofit organization; Los Abogados, the Arizona Hispanic Bar Association; Asian Chamber of Commerce; Asian Pacific Community in Action; State Senator Steve Gallardo; Phoenix Councilmen Michael Johnson and Michael Nowakowski; local clergy members; and the local chapters of the National Urban League and NAACP.
Amid all these calls for his resignation, the Department of Justice report, and the sham of a public hearing on the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office earlier this week, it seems the days of “America’s Toughest Sheriff” are numbered.