Geraldo Rivera Tells Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Sheriff Joe Arapaio May Stop Him on Phoenix Streets if He Looks Latino

Geraldo Rivera tells congressman Licoln Diaz-Balart that he may get stopped on the streets of Phoenix because he looks Latino.

Geraldo Rivera told Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), a Latino, Saturday on his show, that he might get stopped on the streets of Phoenix by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio as a result of the new anti-immigration law signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer the previous day.

Discussing the newly-passed legislation with guests Arpaio and Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) on "Geraldo at Large," the host started the segment by asking, "Sheriff, how do you define reasonable suspicion? Is it like obscenity that you don't exactly know how to define it but you know it when you see it?"

Arpaio responded, "[D]uring the course of the duties of law enforcement, my deputies, if someone doesn't have a license, doesn't speak English, ten guys stashed in back of a van, I think that's reasonable action or probable cause to take action."

Shortly thereafter, Rivera said, "Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, let me just warn you, maybe if you were walking around the streets of Phoenix, Sheriff Joe might stop you. You look sort of Latino, we're not sure even though you have a storied family background"

I agree that something drastic has to be done to fix the problems with illegal immigration, but I have to express some concern about the manner in which this new legislation will be carried out. From a historical perspective, the potential of racial profiling is a very real possibility and it will lead to a deluge of lawsuits, that may very well derail this legislation ever becoming the law.