Rights Groups Call for Full Termination of Secure Communities in Maricopa County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Keith Rushing, Communications Manager, krushing@Rightsworkinggroup
(p) 202.591.3305, (c) 202.557.4291
 
December 16, 2011, Washington, D.C. -- Following yesterday’s release of Department of Justice (DOJ) findings of a deplorable pattern of racial profiling of Latinos by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Rights Working Group, a coalition of civil and human rights organizations, is calling for complete termination of the Secure Communities program in Maricopa County.

DOJ’s probe into allegations of discriminatory policing revealed: discrimination against limited-English proficient inmates in MCSO facilities, a wall of distrust between law enforcement and the Latino community that compromises MCSO’s ability to protect Latino residents, and a failure to investigate sex crimes within MCSO facilities. In addition, the findings revealed a “culture of bias” and that Latino drivers were between and four and nine times more likely to be stopped by police than drivers of other races.
 
“It is a shock to the conscience that Latino residents of Maricopa County have been subjected to such degrading and severe human rights violations at the hands of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his department,” said Rights Working Group Executive Director Margaret Huang. “The findings released by DOJ shed light on just how appalling and inhumane the practices of MCSO have been. This should result in an immediate change in leadership and direction at MCSO,” she said.
 
As a result of the findings, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to terminate its 287(g) agreement with MCSO.  Rights Working Group applauds DHS in taking a firm stand against collaborating with MCSO in this regard.  However, Rights Working Group believes DHS should also completely terminate Secure Communities in Maricopa County, rather than merely limiting MCSO’s access to the program. “Secure Communities should be suspended in any jurisdiction with a documented record of racial profiling, most especially in a jurisdiction as egregious as Maricopa County,” Huang said.  “By continuing to check the fingerprints of people arrested by MCSO in the face of such serious findings of racial profiling and 4th and 14th amendment violations, DHS continues to endorse and gain from Arpaio’s unconstitutional and unethical methods.”
 

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