Immigration crackdown advocates cheered President Trump’s suggestion that he might pardon former Maricopa, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio — and said he should go even further and name the lawman to an administration post dealing with border security.
Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee has been calling for the appointment for weeks, and said Tuesday that Mr. Trump’s suggestion of a pardon has heartened them.
“Many supporters of both Arpaio and Trump have been very disappointed with President Trump’s neglect of his ally Joe Arpaio,” said William Gheen, president of ALIPAC.
Arpaio was convicted earlier this year of criminal contempt of court after a federal judge ruled he had willfully violated an earlier order to cancel traffic stops aimed at weeding out illegal immigrants.
Over the weekend Mr. Trump told Fox News that he is “seriously considering” a pardon of the former sheriff, and said it could come soon. Arpaio faces up to six months in jail, but has vowed to appeal his conviction.
Arpaio was one of Mr. Trump’s earliest supporters in the presidential campaign, and Mr. Gheen said Mr. Trump should repay him with a job overseeing border security.
“Pardoning Arpaio and appointing him to a border security position would be welcome news among those of us who fought so hard to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton,” he said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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