President Trump Pardons Controversial Ex-Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Hours after wishing “good luck” to Texans in the path of Hurricane Harvey, President Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona Sheriff who was convicted of criminal contempt of court for racially profiling Latinos. Arpaio was found guilty of violating a federal order to stop his deputies from holding people in custody based only on the belief that they were undocumented. For more than a year after the ruling, Arpaio’s deputies continued to detain people who they suspected were undocumented. Arpaio, who faced up to six months in prison, was scheduled for sentencing in October.
Earlier this week at President Trump’s rally in Phoenix, he hinted he would pardon Arpaio. “But Sheriff Joe can feel good,” said Trump. He added: “The people of Arizona know the deadly and heartbreaking consequences of illegal immigration, the lost lives, the drugs, the gangs, the cartels, the crisis of smuggling and trafficking.”
Here is the official statement from the White House:
BREAKING: Pres. Trump grants presidential pardon to former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. https://t.co/n7TqA3E2wo pic.twitter.com/rJFfcZtNol
— ABC News (@ABC) August 26, 2017
Reaction to the pardon was swift. Former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro called Trump “morally bankrupt.”
Trump's Arpaio pardon another example of just how morally bankrupt Trump is. What a national embarrassment they both are. #failedPOTUS
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 26, 2017
Then he wrote what he really felt:
Trump in one word tonight: #pendejo
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 26, 2017
His brother, Texas congressman Joaquin Castro, called Trump a bigot:
Joe Arpaio is a bigot who targeted the Hispanic community for years. He should have served his time. https://t.co/b60fRJFnTD
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) August 26, 2017
Others shared reminders of the detestable things Arpaio did…
Joe Arpaio literally tortured pre-trial detainees with extreme heat and humiliation tactics because they were Latino https://t.co/d7ZQBGGXOC
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 26, 2017
… And how his myopic obsession with rounding up immigrants…
.@POTUS just pardoned Arizona's convicted concentration camp' Sherriff Joe Arpaio, here's some background on him: https://t.co/jLXr9gE78v
— Paul Myers (@pulmyears) August 26, 2017
… had consequences that are often overlooked:
While Arpaio targeted immigrants, the # of uninvestigated sex crime cases eventually swelled to >400. Many of the victims were children.
— Elise Hu (@elisewho) August 26, 2017
Jorge Ramos pointed out Trump’s contradictory behavior.
Trump said that racism is evil. Then, why does he pardon a man, Arpaio, found guilty of discriminating against Latinos?
— JORGE RAMOS (@jorgeramosnews) August 26, 2017
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton called it a “slap in the face” to the people of Maricopa County.
Phoenix, AZ Mayor Greg Stanton: "This is not a proud day for Phoenix." pic.twitter.com/Wcm1cQ0c3A
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 26, 2017
And writer Juan Paul Brammer expressed the frustration that many people felt upon learning the news.
I could write my "As a Latino" reaction to Joe Arpaio but America hasn't cared since he called us rapists
— JuanPa (@jpbrammer) August 26, 2017
READ: Here’s President Trump’s Super Defensive Arizona Speech In A Nutshell
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