Trump Pardons Former Arizona Sheriff and Convicted Criminal Joe Arpaio

president donald trump on friday pardoned joe arpaio, the notorious former arizona sheriff. arpaio wilfully violated a federal judge's order by unlawfully detaining individuals his officers claimed might be in the country illegally.

arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt last month for violating 2011 order barring him and his office from detaining people solely based on his suspicions about their legal status. he proclaimed himself, "america's toughest sheriff." arpaio, 85, was scheduled to be sentenced october 5.

"throughout his time as sheriff, arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. sheriff joe arpaio is now 85 years old, and after more than 50 years of admirable service to our nation, is worthy of a presidential pardon," said the white house in a statement.

arpaio's officers called latinos, "fucking mexicans," "mexican bitches," "stupid mexicans," and "wetbacks." a report by the u.s. department of justice's civil rights division in 2011 concluded arpaio and his officers engaged in racial profiling and unlawful policing. they also found latino drivers were four to nine times as likely to be stopped by his officers than non-latino drivers.

"with his pardon of arpaio, trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing. once again, the president has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts. his pardon of arpaio is a presidential endorsement of racism," said cecilia wang, deputy legal director of the american civil liberties union.

normally, it can take a few years before a pardon is granted. the process is controlled by the justice department's office of the pardon attorney. background checks are conducted, character affidavits get notarized, federal prosecutors are consulted, letters are solicited and petitions are prepared as part of the arduous process.

but trump defiantly ignored the protocol. vanita gupta, the former chief of the justice department's civil rights division said, "if president trump uses his power to pardon a discredited law enforcement official who persistently engaged in illegal racial profiling of the latino community, it will not be a dog whistle to the so-called 'alt-right' and white supremacists, but a bull horn."