Phoenix, AZ - Today Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever denounced federal judge Susan Bolton’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction preventing portions of Senate Bill 1070 from becoming law and immediately appealed the ruling expressed their intent to pursue an appeal of the decision. The law, passed by the people of Arizona, would have taken effect on July 29 and would have been an important part in the ongoing efforts of state and local government to fill the hole left by the federal government’s abdication of its responsibility to secure the border. To fight the unjust lawsuit, Sheriff Dever has hired a private Lawfirm, Rose Law Group pc, to represent their interests. For more information go to www.bordersheriffs.com, there they have a fund to assist them in their defense against the federal government and the ACLU.
“Incredibly, even though there is not one person who can legitimately claim to be harmed by a law that has not even taken effect, the result of an injunction is de facto amnesty through non-enforcement of laws against illegal immigration,” Sheriffs Babeu and Dever said. “The ACLU and Justice Department are playing politics in demanding that law enforcement not act to protect the public but failing to do anything about our illegal crossing issue. It is putting our Deputies and the families we’ve sworn an oath to protect in harms way and we need the Government to stop the lawsuits and start taking corrective action. Help us, don’t sue us.”
Judge Susan Bolton was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 2000, and prior to that was appointed a Maricopa County Superior Court judge by Governor Mofford.
“The federal government refuses to secure the border and leaves it to states like Arizona to bear the costs of its inaction. Yet, when we try to do the job they won’t do, in a manner consistent with federal law, they stop us. You couldn’t make up something this ridiculous.
“The Obama Administration has a light touch when it comes to securing the border but a heavy hand when it comes to sicking their lawyers on the people of Arizona,” the Sheriffs continued. “From Washington it might be hard to see the problems that we see every day as a result of our Swiss cheese border. Maybe if they spent some time in our counties they would think about a crackdown on illegal immigration rather than a crackdown on those of us fighting illegal immigration.
“We call on Governor Brewer to call the Legislature into special session to craft a measure that will meet the Courts objections, while still providing tools to secure the border. If we don’t act, we are giving short shrift to the concerns of the people of Arizona, who are the real victims here. This decision must be appealed.
“In the meantime, we will continue to use the laws and resources available to protect the people we serve.”
BorderSheriffs.com is a project of the Legacy Foundation to financially support the legal defense of SB1070 on Cochise County Sheriff Dever for lawsuits brought by the ACLU and the US Department of Justice against them and the State of Arizona. The Foundation is 501(c)(3) organization based in Des Moines, Iowa focused on state level policy matters, including constitutional and civil rights.
For further information, please contact Jameson Cunningham with Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at (703) 739-5920 or (800) 536-5920.
###
