‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: Arpaio “Betrayed” by Federal Suit; Brewer “Loses Her Head” in Debate

America's Voice Blog

Posted 09/03/10 at 10:49am

The top story in the Spanish-language press today is the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio for refusing to comply with a DOJ civil-rights investigation. The press also reviews Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's disastrous debate performance.

Arpaio "betrayed" by federal suit. The lawsuit demands that Arpaio turn over documents related to an ongoing federal investigation into potential civil-rights violations and discriminatory practices in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. According to news agency EFE, the controversial sheriff said he was “disappointed” by the news. AFP adds that Arpaio characterized the lawsuit as a “stab in the back”:

“These people in Washington met with my attorneys only a few days ago. And in that meeting, Washington got our cooperation; they admitted they already have thousands of pages of the requested documents; and they were given access to interview my staff and get into my jails. They smiled in our faces and then stabbed us in the back with this lawsuit.”

But Reuters quotes Thomas Pérez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice:

“It is unfortunate that the department was forced to resort to litigation to gain access to public documents and facilities.”

Contacto Magazine reports that the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative (LEEI) commended the lawsuit against Arpaio and condemned Arizona law SB 1070. Arturo Venegas, LEEI director and former chief of police of Sacramento, CA, said:

“We applaud the Department of Justice’s actions against Sheriff Arpaio and believe that all law enforcement tactics and policies must be open and transparent in order to be effective.”

Brewer “loses her head” in Arizona debate. The AP discusses Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s underwhelming performance in a debate Wednesday night against her Democratic gubernatorial opponent. The agency predicts that her opening statement, which included 10 seconds of silence, “will go down one of the most painful openings to a political debate in recent memory.”

Migra Patrol Copwatch. Also in Arizona, where Brewer has made SB 1070 the centerpiece of her campaign, EFE reports that the coalition Migra Patrol Copwatch has launched the “Yo Soy Testigo” (“I Am a Witness”) campaign to document cases of discrimination, racial profiling and harassment of victims and witnesses. In other immigration enforcement news, another EFE article reports that Iowa will become the next state to join the Secure Communities program.

For Selvin. Siglo 21 covers efforts to stop the deportation of Selvin Arévalo.

Elections. Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White wants the government to send another 1,250 agents to patrol that state’s portion of the border, according to the AP.

America's Voice has started a new series, “‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration,” to bring Spanish-language coverage of immigration and politics to a wider audience. Look for daily roundups (in English) of some of the best Spanish-language news.

The latest Spanish-language reporting and analysis on immigration can now be found at AmericasVoiceEspanol.com. Check it out!