OPINION: Arpaio pardoning affects Los Angeles


Shideh Ghandeharizadeh | Daily Trojan

Last Friday, President Donald Trump did the unthinkable. As a Category 4 hurricane threatened to engulf Texas, he pardoned controversial former Arizona police sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Arpaio, who called himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff” until recently, is infamous for his long tenure as the sheriff of Maricopa County,  Arizona, where his department became known for its cruel treatment of inmates and the surrounding Latinx community.

A federal court found that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office unconstitutionally carried out — in the words of one federal investigator quoted by The Atlantic — the “most egregious” example of “racial profiling in the United States” under Arpaio’s leadership. Arpaio himself was convicted of civil and criminal contempt of court when he refused to change the department’s policies.

Make no mistake: Arpaio’s pardon is just the latest in a long line of Trump’s embrace of destructive police practices. With this latest action, Trump emboldens local law enforcement around the country to profile, discriminate against and ignore the rights of the Latinx community to fervently enforce immigration laws.

The climate created by the Trump administration is of particular relevance for the South Central Los Angeles community. The pardoning of a police sheriff famous for using racial profiling to illegally attack the rights of immigrants sends a dark message to immigrants throughout Los Angeles. Trump’s decision could embolden the law enforcement officers in the community who may have vendettas against immigrants by telling them that they are above the law, and racially charged and illegal action or excessive use of force by police can be pardoned and even condoned.

Latinx people constitute roughly half of the community — thousands of whom are undocumented. In Los Angeles, condoning racially discriminatory policies would be widely felt. The city has already started to feel the brunt of Trump’s policies, with increased ICE raids and a Justice Department threatening to cut millions in federal funding over its refusal to comply with federal immigration policy. In May, more than 200 undocumented people were arrested in Los Angeles.

Trump’s decision was instantly denounced by people from across the political spectrum, from former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). It is comforting to know that many in positions of political power are able to see the pardon for what it is: a short-sighted maneuver to appeal to the president’s ever-shrinking base of support. But those who disavow the president’s actions must be careful to note that it is not an isolated incident.

The president’s words about race and policing hold heavy weight. They embolden seeds of racism that may already exist in some law enforcement officers across the country, from Ferguson, Mo., to South Central Los Angeles.

In June 2015, Trump broke into the political scene with lurid descriptions of “rapists” and “murderers” flooding across the border from Mexico. He has yet to moderate his rhetoric during his time in office. Trump has consistently and disturbingly espoused a violent, triumphalist and deeply out-of-touch view of policing.

In a speech to law enforcement officials this July, for example, he referred to MS-13 gang members as “animals” before endorsing the use of causal police brutality. In particular, he verbally supported the “rough rides” responsible for the death of Freddie Gray at the hands of the Baltimore Police Department.

The new status quo that Trump has created by his outrageous statements and actions causes real harm and mistrust in the real world. In the process, only the gangs benefit.

To function, local law enforcement needs the support of and cooperation from the communities they serve. If undocumented and recent immigrants fear they may be deported, they may be less likely to report crimes or talk with the police.

With less crime being reported, gangs are able to get away with more brazen activity. A vicious cycle is created, where immigrant communities have no place to turn for help. In the past, even strict immigration policy has benefited gangs. MS-13 as we know it today was formed due to mass deportations in the 1990s, which enabled the gang to establish international roots.

The good news is that, despite the grim picture on the federal level, law enforcement in Los Angeles still shows some promise. The Los Angeles Police Department, in the process of reform themselves, came out strongly against Trump’s remarks. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, during a recent speech to Senate Democrats, went as far as to say “we are all less safe” with more extreme immigration enforcement. They understand the danger these policies pose to public safety.

At the end of the day, Trump’s pardon of Arpaio is only the latest action to display his administration’s disregard for the Latinx community and policing procedure as a whole. But nonetheless, to South Central Los Angeles’ prominent Latinx and immigrant community, this sends a uniquely dangerous message.

7 replies
  1. CathodeGlow
    CathodeGlow says:

    You know what REALLY affects Los Angeles? Decades of illegal immigration by largely unskilled, uneducated and illiterate foreigners.

  2. Chi Lau
    Chi Lau says:

    Pardoning Joe Arpaio will hopefully affect freeway drive times in LA – fewer illegal immigrants on the road means fewer hours wasted in traffic.

    By the way – being “Latinx” doesn’t preclude one from obeying the immigration laws of a sovereign nation state.

  3. Valery Gomez
    Valery Gomez says:

    Neither Joe Arpaio or the millions of illegal immigrants in our country should be pardoned. When you commit a crime you need to do the time.

    • tom
      tom says:

      I couldn’t agree more…. but how often does someone do the full time for their crime. The difference is that Arpaio was convicted of a misdemeanor and has a clean record…. unlike the thousands of FELONS that obama pardoned…. They ALL have extensive records and have been given a second chance… third chance.. forth… 100th chance, etc. Anyone else that committed the same crime that Arpaio committed, would receive probation and not jail time.

  4. Lunderful
    Lunderful says:

    Obama pardons a terrorist bomber and cop killer along with commuting the sentences of countless violent drug dealers and you harp on about a sheriff enforcing immigration laws that may not be PC? Take a breath. Remind yourself that you are another of the throng that made up its mind to be hateful more than a year ago.

    May I suggest that you do research beyond chats at Starbucks to support conclusions on socio-economic policy.

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