Federal Appellate Court Dismisses Anti-Immigrant Arizona Sheriff’s Lawsuit
Undocumented immigrants have come to America for years. While some Americans welcome them with open arms, others do not and worry that the undocumented immigrants are having a negative effect on American society. As a result, some Americans who carry anti-immigrant sentiments, such as Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, challenged President Barack Obama’s recent executive orders to grant undocumented immigrants legal status in court, but not all anti-immigrant and anti-executive-order lawsuits hold water. This one withstood court scrutiny.
Arpaio asserted that Obama’s executive orders helped create a new wave of immigrant criminals. Nevertheless, although he is the chief law enforcement agent in a large U.S. county where many undocumented immigrants stay, he produced no solid evidence supporting his position. As a result, a federal appellate court in Washington, D.C. dismissed his suit. The sheriff lost. The appellate court stated that a connection between President Obama’s orders and an increase in crime and prison population is untraceable. The court ruled that Sheriff Arpaio was merely speculating and that there is no legal or judicial precedent for such speculation.
The appellate court’s ruling affects American society in many ways. For example, it serves to keep immigration as a major political campaign topic in the presidential race and has drawn close attention from many voters, and many Latinos are offended by one Republican candidate calling Mexican immigrants “criminals.” The ruling fueled the nationwide debate concerning “sanctuary cities,” cities in which local law enforcement typically do not arrest individuals for violating immigration laws.
If you are an immigrant and you have legal troubles, know this: You have rights and legal remedies. If you have questions about America’s immigration laws and policies, talk to a lawyer. For more information and to have questions answered, contact Nashville Attorney Perry A. Craft.
Perry A. Craft has dedicated his life to helping people in need. He has tried, settled, or resolved numerous civil and criminal cases in State and Federal courts, and has represented teachers and administrators before school boards, administrative judges, and the state Board of Education. Learn more about Attorney Craft.