GOD Bless Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Newsmax* is reporting that the Federal Department of Homeland Security is ordering Sheriff Joe to release illegal immigrants who are properly arrested, under Federal law, for being in this country illegally.

Under the so-called and revamped 287 (g) agreements between the DHS and local law enforcement, local law enforcement may arrest illegal aliens under specific conditions which exclude arrests for merely being in the United States illegally. Sheriff Joe asserts that this is tantamount to an amnesty for illegal aliens.

The DHS has given Sheriff Joe an ultimatum, either sign the agreement or lose his authority to enforce FEDERAL immigration laws. If Sheriff Joe loses the authority to enforce Federal immigration laws by not signing the agreement, he cites a bevy of Arizona State laws which deal with illegal immigration, laws that prohibit immigrant smuggling and ban employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. Laws which he may enforce in spite of the, new, Federal ban on enforcing simple FEDERAL immigration violations.

The Chief of DHS, Janet Napolitano, severely damaged the credibility of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year when she sent a memorandum to all law enforcement agencies warning them to be on the lookout for conservative ideological opponents of President Obama and returning Iraqi war veterans because they are a probable source for domestic terrorism. She spent several months apologizing for that memorandum, however, the DHS is, once again, embroiled in controversy under Napolitano's guidance.

At the end of the Newsmax article, Alessandra Soler-Meetze, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona stated, "He's a rogue sheriff, and he is the clearest, most visible example of why these 287(g) ordinances are bad for local communities," she said. "Arpaio demonstrates what happens when there's absolutely no federal oversight of a program that has really led to some serious civil rights abuses."

Quite clearly, the antithesis of Ms. Soler-Meetze's statement is true. It is a direct result of politicized Federal oversight which has brought about this failure of DHS to enforce Federal immigration laws, and to ensure that no other law enforcement agency enforces them either. While there are rogues in government, I would assert that Sheriff Joe is not one of them. He is merely enforcing the will of his constituents and NOT the Federal government. Government easily forgets that the VOTERS keep electing Sheriff Joe, time and time again, NOT the Federal government. Seemingly this relationship between elected officials and electorate was lost on Alessandra Soler-Meetze, as she snored her way through law school and her bar exams.

If Ms. Soler-Meetze ever DOES crack a book, perhaps she should look in the dictionary under "Rogue Politician", wherein she may find a picture of Janet Napolitano.

* http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/arpaio_DHS_illegals/2009/07/31/242556.html