Arizona’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio might call himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” but he was first to blink yesterday after a serious standoff with undocumented youth from the DREAM Activist movement.
Six undocumented students were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona yesterday after publicly declaring their immigration status and rallying for the removal of Sheriff Arpaio from office. Viridiana Hernandez, Daniela Cruz, Jackie Sanchez, Stephanie Sanchez, Rocio Sanchez, and Hugo Sanchez were surrounded by hundreds of supporters during their arrest—the first time undocumented students have come out to risk arrest in Arizona since the passage of the state’s arch-anti-immigrant law, SB 1070. It took several hours for law enforcement to respond, including major hesitation from Arpaio’s department.
“This event is part of a larger push to make sure this man is not re-elected,” Viridiana Hernandez said in a press statement. “If we want to defeat Sheriff Arpaio then we need to come out of the shadows and fight back. We are prepared to take on the Sheriff.”
Meet the brave DREAM Activists here:
Watch video and view pictures from the protest.
View our fact sheet on the very worst of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
