Photo of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio in August 2010. Photo/AFP-Google

WASHINGTON — The US government has followed through with its warnings to a prominent Arizona sheriff, filing suit against him Thursday for not cooperating with an investigation into alleged discrimination against illegal immigrants.

The target of the federal action is Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, whose zealous pursuit and severe treatment of illegal immigrants in Arizona has made him a hero to some and hated by others.

The US Department of Justice said it filed suit “after exhausting all cooperative measures” to gain access to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) documents and facilities as part of its investigation. It accused Arpaio of being an “extreme outlier,” the only sheriff to refuse such cooperation in 30 years.

“The actions of the sheriff’s office are unprecedented,” Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, said in a statement.

Read more here.

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