Trent Franks, Joe Arpaio and the "Specter" of Immigration Enforcement

KTAR (92.3 FM) has a revealing quote from Arizona Representative Trent Franks (right) this morning about why he thinks Sheriff Joe Arpaio is under federal investigation:"They feel like that if they can take him out and do him damage or intimidate him, they end up intimidating the whole specter of...

By Ray Stern

March 16, 2009

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KTAR (92.3 FM) has a revealing quote from Arizona Representative Trent Franks (right) this morning about why he thinks Sheriff Joe Arpaio is under federal investigation:

"They feel like that if they can take him out and do him damage or intimidate him, they end up intimidating the whole specter of law enforcement that deals with illegal immigration," says Republican Rep. Trent Franks.

That's an interesting word choice -- and we agree there's something spooky and disturbing about immigration enforcement as it's conducted these days.

The feds' lack of control of America's border has led to actions by local authorities that are, at times, inhumane -- while also appearing bigoted. (And we aren't very consoled by the fact that the feds are now pretending to lead a witch-hunt against the worst offenders of their own mistake).

Okay, maybe Franks meant "spectrum," (or it's a KTAR typo).

We don't care whose Freudian slip it was. If the shoe fits...

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.