Statement: “And if you look at this law that Arizona signed, that Arizona put into place, police — all the sheriffs are behind it, the police chiefs are behind it,” U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, said on KPBS Wednesday.
Determination: Huckster Propaganda
Analysis: Arizona recently adopted a controversial law that encourages local police to enforce federal immigration law, and in doing so, the state has received both praise and criticism from law enforcement officials within its borders and across the country.
The headline of a New York Times story about the law said “Arizona’s Effort to Bolster Local Immigration Authority Divides Law Enforcement.” Among those cited as public opponents of the law are the Arizona Association of Police Chiefs and several sheriffs in the state, numerous media have reported.
That opposition alone makes Hunter’s statement false.
The congressman’s spokesman, Joe Kasper, acknowledged the inaccuracy and that some police chiefs and sheriffs in Arizona oppose the new law. Kasper said Hunter’s statement was merely a reflection of the law enforcement officials whose positions he knew about.
Based on the law’s high publicity in local and national media and Hunter’s own passion for immigration issues, it’s logical to expect that he would be knowledgeable enough to know whether his own statement was factual. For that reason, we’re elevating the statement to Huckster Propaganda.
A hat tip to KPBS’ Amy Isackson, who did the original fact checking on Hunter’s statements through her Twitter account.
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— KEEGAN KYLE