From 1993 to 2017, the self-proclaimed “America’s Toughest Sheriff” Joe Arpaio terrorized Latinos and political opponents in Arizona’s Maricopa County for which he faced numerous civil rights lawsuits and was eventually convicted of contempt of court.
During his reign of terror, Arpaio established a model for what has become Trump’s ICEstapo.
Racial Profiling – Arpaio’s Sheriff’s department racially profiled Latinos during his anti-immigration sweeps stopping every driver with dark hair and brown skin to demand to see their papers. And, if they were unable to provide them, he swiftly hauled them off to jail where they were held in deplorable conditions. If those tactics seem familiar, that’s because the so-called conservative majority of SCOTUS decided to look the other way as ICE Barbie and her Gestapo wannabes violate the 4th Amendment ban on illegal searches and seizures.
Detention Conditions – Instead of normal jails, Arpaio housed many of his detainees in what he called a concentration camp in the Arizona desert. Known as Tent City, the camp consisted of surplus military tents located next to a landfill which made the entire site stink. Adding to the stench were the site’s only bathroom facilities – portable toilets. There was no heat or AC leading to temperatures inside the tent rising to as high as 145 degrees.
It was reported that Arpaio’s wife had a lucrative contract to provide meals for the detainees. Yet the twice-daily meals consisted of a carton of milk along with orange juice in the morning, a bowl of flavorless porridge, a hard roll and a piece of fruit recovered from food rescue.
Given that elected officials have been denied access to inspect ICE’s Alligator Alcatraz, it’s likely the conditions are as bad or worse.
Targeting Political Opponents – Arpaio famously arrested two reporters for publishing an article unfavorable to his office. The reporters were handcuffed by plainclothes officers, placed in an SUV with tinted windows and hauled off to jail. He also did the same to many of his political opponents. Sound familiar?
Like Arpaio ICE has also arrested political opponents without cause, forcing them to spend thousands on legal fees. The only difference between Arpaio’s thugs and the ICEstapo is that ICE agents have taken it a step farther by wearing masks.