SPLC statement on a presidential pardon of former sheriff Joe Arpaio
Joe Arpaio was so bent on pursuing his anti-immigrant crusade that he wouldn’t even allow the U.S. Constitution to stand in his way.
He ignored the courts telling him to stop his immigrant roundups that racially profiled Latinos – using it as another opportunity to strut around as “America’s Toughest Sheriff.”
By pardoning Arpaio, President Trump is setting an extremely troubling precedent: The more attention you get for your illegal anti-immigrant actions, the more likely the president of the United States will shield you from the consequences.
