On Friday, President Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio for his conviction of criminal contempt of a federal court order that he stop detaining people based on their immigration status. Critics of the pardon view the move as a direct affront to Latinos, who are the primary detainees; the Anti-Defamation league was among one of the first organizations to announce its solidarity with the Latino community.
“President Trump’s pardon of Joe Arpaio defies explanation and flies in the face of American values,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) chief executive officer Jonathan A. Greenblatt said Saturday in a statement. “We stand today with the Latino community, who have been the primary targets of Arpaio’s bigotry and feel the president’s decision to pardon him particularly acutely.”
The Anti-Defamation League was founded more than 100 years ago to fight defamation against Jewish Americans. According to Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League has been exposing Arpaio’s extreme anti-immigrant tactics and bigotry for years.
“The Anti-Defamation League has been exposing Joe Arpaio’s extreme anti-immigrant tactics and bigotry for years. He has unlawfully targeted Latinos and intentionally held immigrants in deplorable and humiliating conditions. At the tent city jail he created in Arizona’s sweltering heat – boastfully comparing it to a concentration camp – he humiliated detainees,” said Greenblatt.
The Anti-Defamation League believes that Trump’s pardon sets a very dangerous precedent, one that will continue to foster divisions in our country. It’s a sad day for Americans who care about justice, equality and strengthening our social fabric.
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