Univision and ABC's new joint-venture, English-language news network Fusion, which is set to launch nationally on Oct. 28, will bust out of the gates with some prime-time controversy as Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos interviews Joe Arpaio, the man who likes to call himself "America's Toughest Sheriff". Ramos has been increasingly critical of Tea Party Republicans in the House in recent times, in particular with the opposition of many members to the idea of granting legal status and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The interview will air sometime shortly after Fusion launches. Scroll down to watch a clip of it, courtesy of Fusion, below.
Ramos traveled to Maricopa County, Arizona, the state's most populous county, and visited Arpaio at his Tent City jail to ask about a May ruling from a federal judge which found that Arpaio's office had racially profiled in its immigration-related sweeps. In the clip, Ramos asks the sheriff, "You wouldn't arrest anyone just because they don't have the legal papers." Arpaio replies, "Years ago I had the authority to do that when federal - Homeland Security -- ICE swore in 100 of my deputies to enforce the immigration laws." Ramos says, "But you can't do that anymore." Arpaio acknowledges that the anchor is right, and when Ramos asks him why, the sheriff opines, "I think we were doing too good of a job." The clips ends with Ramos objecting to the sheriff's explanation. "No, no, no. You were accused of racial profiling."
This week, Judge Murray Snow appointed a monitor to oversee the activities of Arpaio's office and ensure that it was in compliance with the ruling that deputies could not target "particular communities, locations or geographic areas for targeted traffic enforcement based to any degree on the racial or ethnic composition of the community" or use race as a factor in determining whether vehicles should be pulled over to check the occupants' legal status.
It's not the first time Ramos has confronted conservative figures who have garnered controversy for immigration-related actions or comments. In July, Ramos interviewed Iowa representative Steve King, whose comments about young undocumented immigrants have often inflamed tempers of his political opponents and immigrant advocates. He also spoke to Arpaio last February in a contentious interview during which he asked the sheriff to explain how he had turned into "the face of racism" for many Latino immigrants to the United States.
RELATED: Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio To Be Monirored For Racial Profiling, Orders Federal Judge
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