ACLU sues Sheriff Joe Arpaio for alleged racial profiling (Dan Pochoda)

The American Civil Liberties Union - an organization that is/was collaborating with the Mexican government in a scheme that would help that government profit from illegal activity inside the U.S. - is suing Maricopa County, Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio for alleged racial profiling and related issues (aclu.org/immigrants/workplace/40777prs20090819.html). According to the ACLU, a father and son - the first a long-term legal resident, the second a U.S. citizen - were detained by Arpaio's deputies while they were conducting an immigration raid at a business:

The lawsuit charges that the MCSO deputies racially profiled the father and son as they drove their pickup truck on a busy public road and illegally arrested and detained them, violating the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law and prohibition on unreasonable seizures.

The ACLU admits that this occured 100 yards from the business, and according to the Associated Press the father works at the location of the raid (link). There's probably a good chance that it will come out that the deputies had a reason to stop the pair. It's interesting that this is one of the few cases involving Arpaio that illegal immigration supporters like the ACLU have tried to hang their hats on.

ACLU lawyers involved include "Dan Pochoda, Legal Director of the ACLU of Arizona and lead counsel on the case", Cecillia Wang, and Annie Lai.

9/18/09 UPDATE: Others involved in the suit are Steptoe and Johnson, MALDEF, and Somos America.

Wed, 08/19/2009 - 19:28 · · Importance: 4