SIX ARRESTED IN PHOENIX FOR ANTI-SHERIFF JOE ROADBLOCK

Six Arrested at Roadblock in Phoenix Demonstrating Against Arizona’s Immigration Policies

Six Arrested at Anti Sherrif Joe Roadblock ProtestImmigration lawyers and advocates are confounded as Phoenix police arrested six protesters at a rally against Maricopa County Sherrif Joe Arpaio’s immigration stance. Among the six arrested were high school and college students local to the Phoenix area.

The protest started on a street corner at 75th Avenue and Cheery Lynn but then gained momentum and moved locations to 75th avenue, blocking traffic and therefore giving cause to arrest the demonstrators to local law enforcement authorities. Police accounts say that those protesting were given until 5:30 pm to leave the scene, and once they did not a line of officers approached the protestors in the road and began taking them into custody.

The charges for arrest varied between obstructing a thoroughfare and disorderly conduct.

While the immigration attorneys at Alcock & Associates laud the efforts by the protestors giving voice to policies that unfairly and unjustly target immigrants and are biased against certain ethnicities, we also caution those engaging in such demonstrations to remember to obey the law. With the post SB-1070 climate in Arizona, unfortunately, many officers are looking for a reason to detain someone suspected of being in the country illegally. Without knowing what the legal status of any of these protestors is, but assuming one or more may have not had legal status, through an arrest they may now have placed themselves in removal proceedings for nothing more than “obstructing a thoroughfare.”

While the immigration attorneys at Alcock & Associates hope this is not the case, and while we support anyone demonstrating the value of their constitutional rights, we do advocate safety, respect for the law, and above all, not giving someone the chance to subject anyone to racial profiling.

If you or someone you know needs representation in immigration proceedings in Arizona, contact an attorney at Alcock & Associates, 602-989-5000 or on our website at www.74.212.223.107/~alcocklaw,