Arizona’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio said in a pre-recorded statement on Tuesday that he will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that his office violated the Constitution and racially profiled Latinos, Phoenix TV station KPHO reported.
Arpaio defended his office, saying that he “upholds the law” and that 100 of his deputies were trained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce immigration law.
The lawsuit was filed by a group of citizens and legal residents who argued they were stopped or harassed by street patrols conducted by the sheriff’s office because of their ethnicity. The group sought no damages but nevertheless accomplished its goal: Arpaio said he will adjust his immigration patrol practices to comply with the ruling.
“The court’s order is clear,” Arpaio said. “We will no longer detain persons believed to be in the country without authorization whom we cannot arrest on state charges. I have already instructed my deputies.”
