Russell Pearce

Opponents Of Russell Pearce Say Recall A 'Cautionary Tale' For Anti-Immigration Politicians

Jillian Rayfield | November 9, 2011, 12:59PM

Former Arizona State Senate President Russell Pearce (R)

Supporters of a successful effort to recall Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce (R) say the results of the election are "a cautionary tale for right-wing extremists" like Pearce who try to "demonize" illegal immigrants.

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Russell Pearce

Judge: Backers Of The State Senate President Ran Sham Candidate In AZ Recall

Jillian Rayfield | October 10, 2011, 3:28PM

State Senator Russell Pearce (R-AZ)

A judge in Maricopa County, AZ, found that there is evidence that state Senate candidate Olivia Cortes is a sham candidate in the election to recall Senate president Russell Pearce.

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Russell Pearce

Russell Pearce Supporters Accused Of Running Sham Candidate In AZ Recall Election

Jillian Rayfield | September 27, 2011, 6:03AM

State Senator Russell Pearce (R-AZ)

Russell Pearce, the Arizona Senate president who authored the state's controversial immigration law and is facing a recall election, is also facing a lawsuit that alleges his supporters have helped run a sham candidate in the election to dilute the vote and help his chances to stay in office.

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Alabama

Federal Judge Blocks Alabama's Immigration Law

Jillian Rayfield | August 29, 2011, 3:51PM

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (R)

A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction against Alabama's controversial immigration crackdown, ruling that she needed more time to determine whether the law is constitutional. The law had been scheduled to go into effect on September 1st.

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Alabama

Judge: AL Immigration Law Could Pave Way For Unlawful Arrest Suits

Jillian Rayfield | August 24, 2011, 3:37PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

A federal judge presiding in the lawsuit over Alabama's immigration crackdown said in a hearing Wednesday that "there are a lot of problems with this statute," and that it could lead to a number of unlawful arrest suits.

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Department of Justice

DOJ's Suit Against Alabama Immigration Law Headed To Court

Jillian Rayfield | August 23, 2011, 4:57PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

The Department of Justice and lawyers for the state of Alabama will face-off in federal court Wednesday over the state's controversial immigration law.

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Russell Pearce

Judge OKs Recall Election Against Author Of AZ Immigration Law

Jillian Rayfield | August 15, 2011, 9:43AM

State Senator Russell Pearce (R-AZ)

An Arizona judge has given the go-ahead for a recall election of state Sen. Russell Pearce (R), who authored the state's controversial immigration law.

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AZ Immigation Law

Jan Brewer Files Supreme Court Appeal Over AZ Immigration Law

Jillian Rayfield | August 10, 2011, 6:25PM

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ)

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court's preliminary injunction against the state's controversial immigration law.

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Department of Justice

DOJ Files Lawsuit Against Alabama Immigration Law

Jillian Rayfield | August 1, 2011, 6:09PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging Alabama's immigration crackdown, arguing that the law is unconstitutional because it interferes with federal enforcement of immigration policies.

The DOJ has asked the courts to grant a preliminary injunction against the law, which is scheduled to go into effect September 1st, because it will cause "irreparable harm" if allowed to stand until the law can work its way through the court system.

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Russell Pearce

Author Of Arizona's Immigration Law Will Face Recall Election

Jillian Rayfield | July 11, 2011, 11:09AM

State Senator Russell Pearce (R-AZ)

State election officials say that the groups working to recall Arizona's state Senate President Russell Pearce (R), the man behind the state's controversial immigration law, have successfully collected enough signatures to force an election.

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Jan Brewer

Brewer Planning Supreme Court Appeal Over AZ Immigration Law

Jillian Rayfield | May 9, 2011, 4:00PM

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ)

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) announced Monday that she will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a preliminary injunction against the state's controversial immigration law.

In April, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a lower court's decision to block key parts of the law until the Department of Justice's lawsuit against it is decided.

Brewer, along with Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, said Monday that because the matter is of some urgency, they would bypass a ruling by the full Ninth Circuit and head straight for the Supreme Court.

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Arizona

DOJ Asks Courts To Throw Out Arizona Suit Over Border Security

Jillian Rayfield | April 14, 2011, 11:45AM

Attorney General Eric Holder

The federal government has asked a judge to throw out the state of Arizona's lawsuit over border security, calling the suit "of a political nature" and coloring it as an attempt to spin the government's own suit against Arizona over its controversial immigration law.

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Joe Arpaio

New 527 Established To Defend Sheriff Joe Against Obama

Ryan J. Reilly | September 9, 2010, 11:11AM

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio

There's a new 527 political organization on the scene this week with a very specific purpose -- defending Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Arpaio -- who describes himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff" -- was sued last week by the Justice Department for not cooperating with a civil rights investigation into whether his office discriminated his enforcement of immigration laws.

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Arizona

McCain's 'Danged Fence' Sheriff Claims Mexican Drug Cartels Control U.S. Territory

Eric Lach | September 6, 2010, 8:49AM

Sheriff Paul Babeau and Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

First, right-wingers reported Mexican drug cartels had invaded Laredo, Texas -- nevermind that law enforcement says it never happened. Now, Arizona Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is lending the stamp of authority to the idea that the cartels are conquering parts of the red, white and blue -- nevermind that other law enforcement says that's not true.

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Joe Arpaio

Sheriff Joe: Feds Should Be Thanking Me, But They Declared War (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | September 3, 2010, 3:18PM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- sued by the Justice Department on Thursday for not cooperating with an investigation into civil rights violations -- said Friday that federal officials should be thanking him for enforcing immigration laws instead of declaring "war against Arizona."

Arpaio, who has been a magnet for controversy with stunts such as his parading of prisoners donning pink underwear outside of the country jail, said on MSNBC that his office was "trying to negotiate" with DOJ, but wanted to be given a clear reason why DOJ wanted certain documents before turning anything over.

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Justice Department

Justice Department Sues Sheriff Joe For Not Cooperating With Investigation

Ryan J. Reilly | September 2, 2010, 12:33PM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

The Justice Department on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona for refusing to fully cooperate with the department's investigation of alleged national origin discrimination in the course of immigration enforcement.

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AZ Immigation Law

WATCH: The Best Worst Moments From Arizona's Anti-Profiling Training Video

Rachel Slajda | July 1, 2010, 3:47PM

A still from Arizona's immigration training video

When Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the state's sweeping, and controversial, immigration law earlier this year, she also signed an executive order requiring that law enforcement officers get additional training on how to avoid racial profiling.

Today, the hour-long training video the state created was released to the public. Surprisingly, it mainly focuses on how to avoid the public appearance that the law's enforcement amounts to racial profiling.

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Joe Arpaio

Arpaio Slams Mexican Tourism Ad That Appears To Reference Immigration Law

Zachary Roth | May 24, 2010, 2:04PM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is up-in-arms about an unusual newspaper ad placed by the Mexican Tourist Board, which appears to reference Arizona's controversial new immigration law.

The ad, which ran Friday in the Arizona Republic, declares: "In Sonora, we are looking for people from Arizona." Below those words is a picture of a man in what looks like a military helmet, holding binoculars to his face.

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AZ Immigation Law

'Stunning' Clause In AZ Immigration Law Lets Citizens Sue Govt For Lack Of Enforcement

Zachary Roth | April 28, 2010, 6:45PM

Illegal immigrants are searched before being deported

A highly unusual provision of the Arizona immigration bill -- and one that has flown largely under the radar until now -- could take police resources away from violent crimes in favor of immigration enforcement, as well as triggering a flood of time-consuming lawsuits. One expert calls the provision "stunning."

A clause of the bill, signed last week by Governor Jan Brewer, allows Arizona citizens to file suit against any government entity that "adopts or implements a policy or practice that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law."

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