An Arizona sheriff with a history of anti-immigrant rhetoric and activism has provided Oracle, Arizona residents with information to inspire an anti-immigrant demonstration today. Oracle local Robert Skiba, who plans to protest a proposed site to shelter children fleeing violence in Central America, was told of the plans during a meeting with Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu.
Appearing on Breitbart News Sunday, Skiba recalled his meeting with Babeu and expressed shock before he reportedly told the sheriff, “We will take care of this.”
It is unsurprising for Babeu to play a role in inspiring the anti-immigrant protest. For years he has contributed to Arizona’s climate of fear with his anti-immigrant rhetoric and has also associated himself with prominent anti-immigrant groups including the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Earlier this month, Babeu continued this when he posited that the Central American children pose a public health risk when he claimed, “There are major concerns from a public safety perspective about that.”
Babeu’s work is the latest in a series of actions where law enforcement officials have provided information to anti-immigrant organizers. In recent weeks, enforcement officials have been complicit in leaking information to anti-immigrant activists protesting in Murrieta, California.