Trump pardons Joe Arpaio after criminal contempt conviction

President Donald Trump pardons former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on August 25, 2017. Arpaio had been convicted of criminal contempt for defying a federal court order in a racial profiling case involving Latino drivers and immigration enforcement. The White House describes Arpaio as a public servant who protected communities. Civil rights advocates say the pardon signals tolerance for racially discriminatory policing and defiance of court orders. Presidential pardon power is used in a case rooted in Latino civil rights, policing, and immigration enforcement.