Sheriff Joe Arpaio Investigated:

For actually having the temerity to enforce immigration laws.

When the federal system won't.

Justice Dept. Investigates Arizona Sheriff for Enforcing Immigration Law - Thursday, March 12, 2009
By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona following requests by congressional Democrats and allegations by liberal activists that the department has violated the civil rights of illegal aliens.

A consortium of four Demorats [Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), and Robert Scott (D-Va.) ] demanded the investigation.

As the result of this, our Sheriff Joe stated:

I will not back down. What I am doing is upholding the laws of the state of Arizona, and I will not be persuaded to turn my back on my oath of office as sheriff of this county.”

Let me break this story down to its barest of essentials:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been and continues to embarrass the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arm of the federal government. He dares to do nothing more than enforce laws already extant. He, as opposed to the Fed, feels unencumbered by politics and Politically Correct views. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is very much his Own Man and, as such, likely takes his Oath of Office quite seriously and literally.

As a sworn peace Officer for the State of California, I had to ceremonially state:

I, ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter, so help me God."

My guess is that Sheriff Joe had to similarly swear upon the US Constitution and Arizona's constitution.

Leave Sheriff Joe Arpaio alone.

He is doing the job he lawfully swore to do.

BZ