Sheriff Joe Arpaio, persecutor of undocumented immigrants: “I’m glad when I hear him talk about the wall between Mexico and the EU”
Exclusively for HuffPost Mexico, the most feared sheriff of the west talks about immigration, Trump, drug trafficking and even Elvis Presley.
Alfredo La Mont HuffPost Mexico, Originally published in 2016.
The presidential elections in the United States and, specifically, the Republican candidate Donald Trump has made immigration a central theme of his campaign. While some condemn him for his racist and xenophobic discourse, others have found in the Republican a voice and a model that represents his ideals.
Such is the case of Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, best known for his strong hand against undocumented immigrants.
In 2011 the Department of Justice issued a conclusion after three years of investigating the Arpaio office that had received complaints of racial discrimination and a culture of bias at the highest level of the agency. The Justice Department accused Arpaio of participating in “unconstitutional surveillance” for the unjustified arrest and detention of Latinos. And this week, US federal prosecutors will file contempt charges against him.
Just last week, Arpaio was found guilty of three counts of civil contempt
“I know he is worried about illegal immigration and I feel it is time for a businessman to take charge of running the country,” said Sheriff Arpaio exclusively for HuffPost Mexico on Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Several years ago, Arpaio lived in Mexico City, working as a regional director of the Drug Control Administration (DEA), as well as in the offices of Panama, Argentina, Bogotá and Turkey. Later he was appointed chief of the DEA in Texas and later in Arizona. His experience in Latin America, says the sheriff, has helped him to know exactly where the problems are on the border with Mexico. “This after 24 years as a sheriff, 39 miles from the border, for 35 years in this job and with 55 years of constant relationship with Mexico,” he says.
Question : You were one of the first supporters of Donald Trump, can you explain which of your policies attracts you more as a candidate?
SHERIFF ARPAIO: “From the beginning I supported him, from the first time he came to Phoenix.” A little history helps here since I was honorary president of the campaign of President of George W. Bush, as well as for Mitt Romney and also for the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry Now, with all those nominees, I have selected Donald Trump and I say that having a record of the presidential candidates coming to me and asking for my support, I decided to support him based on my first impression that he will be the that straightens the country on this occasion. “
Question : What is your opinion regarding the wall that Donald Trump has insured will build if elected president?
SHERIFF ARPAIO : “I’m glad when I hear him talking about the wall between Mexico and the US I’m thinking about the wall in any way and, not only for illegal immigration, but to stop all the drugs that come to our country. my life to the fight against drug trafficking and Mexico is a country of great origin for these and nobody talks about it, none of the candidates talk about that, they just go to the wall to have their picture taken at the border and they speak of illegal immigration, a lot of people are against illegal immigration, but I think that most people do not want to see the amount of drugs that come into our country and destroy it. problem even bigger than the problem of illegal immigration.
We got along very well with the Mexican government and with the Mexican people and I would like to think we can do the work together.
Question : How were your years in Mexico?
SHERIFF ARPAIO : “Let me go back to the 60s. In 1969 under the presidency of Richard Nixon we carried out the ‘Operation Intercept’ that lasted 10 days in full swing, but for political reasons was abandoned 20 days later. During this, the traffic of vehicles on the border stopped almost 100% and the objective of awakening the Mexican government [of Díaz Ordaz] was achieved on the growing problem of drug trafficking between both countries, being Mexico the producer [of marijuana ] and the United States the consumer.
Then, by chance, I became the director of the DEA in Mexico City. At that time I used to meet with the [then] Attorney General of Mexico, Pedro Ojeda Paullada, who went to my house and we talked and my wife, who is a good confectioner, prepared us a stand of blueberries and we had some whiskey. We managed to do more with the foot and the whiskey than with ‘a great spur’ [Theodore Roosevelt]. We got along very well with the government of Mexico and with the Mexican people and I would like to think that we can do the work together. And that’s why I’m also proud that Donald Trump has gone to Mexico. “
Question : Regarding terrorism, little is known of terrorist activities that have been committed against US citizens or in the US that have been caused by people who have arrived from Mexico, why should this be a concern?
SHERIFF ARPAIO: “A high percentage of the people that we arrested for drugs are people who have entered the country illegally, there is a great relationship between illegal immigration and drug trafficking, in fact, in one of our investigations we arrested the month passed to a person connected to the drug trade and we found that he is also on the list of terrorists!
In the jail I run — which is also the third largest in the country — there are more than 2,000 people and we have seen people deported whose names appear on terrorist lists or who come from countries with terrorist links and, if I am not mistaken, seven of those who have deported twice have returned legally, but later extend their stay, which is illegal. So not only is crossing the border without papers as you enter the country, but also the people who over extend their permit to stay.
Question : Your ‘’ tent city ‘’ has already been in operation for several years and was originally done in order to have people there who were serving sentences of less than a year or who were in the process of being convicted, does it still work and why? ?
SHERIFF ARPAIO: “Yes, it continues to work and I intend to keep it open, I started it in 1993 as a promise of my campaign and it has worked for 23 years, this is a great program that I maintain despite the political pressures and now has a capacity to up to 2,400 but at the moment there are only between 800 and up to 1600 people.
This is a good program that I did because of the overcrowding we had and I also did it to be a very hard experience for the people who come here to give. To think it over before entering or returning, as it is a very hot area (50 ° C, according to Arpaio) in the summer. In the end, I have a lot of people who call me thanking me, as an exconvicto told me: ‘Sheriff, thanks for getting in there, I learned the lesson’. Every day that I am on the street I have people coming and they whisper in my ear and they thank me and I tell them that I am happy, that this is very good for them since now (as a consequence of the rehabilitation) they have a good job , and it was well worth spending time in the tent, so they just do not do it again because it’s so hard to be there. “
Question : Is it true that you arrested Elvis Presley in Las Vegas for speeding?
SHERIFF ARPAIO : “What I did was stop him when he was riding a motorcycle with a beautiful blonde in the back and the motorcycle was going at 100 miles per hour, I took him to the police station and yes, in a certain way when you deprive someone of his Freedom you are making an arrest, so the answer is yes, I arrested Elvis Presley.
But when he got there he told me that he was Elvis and that what had happened was that the accelerator of his motorcycle had gotten stuck, so right there I asked the garage mechanic to fix it. He thanked this and then gave ten Cadillacs to the narcotics police. Then President Nixon named him an official narcotics agent, which is an irony because in the end he died of an overdose. “
This interview was edited and condensed for a better understanding.
Alfredo La Mont
Read the original interview at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com.mx/2016/10/11/sheriff-joe-arpaio-perseguidor-de-inmigrantes-indocumentados-m_a_21577113/
