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his department over allegations of discrimination and unconstitutional searches and seizures.
The U.S. Justice Department said in a letter to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio that investigators will focus on alleged patterns of police discrimination based on national origin.
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probes announced this week are far different from their predecessors. They are taking place in full public view and, should the FBI find violations, the federal government can impose restrictions on how the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office operates, a first for a police agency that regularly boasts its independence.
“It changes the tenor and content of the investigation,” said Paul Charlton, former U.S. attorney for Arizona, “and it signals that there’s a new administration who has decided to dedicate a significant amount of resources to this issue.”
The U.S. Justice Department launched a new civil rights investigation of MCSO on Tuesday. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Michigan and chairman of the House judiciary committee, on Wednesday announced plans to hold congressional hearings on local immigration enforcement and call Arpaio as a witness in the coming months. .....
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