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PHOENIX - Civil rights and immigrants' rights groups are planning a giant protest Tuesday outside the Phoenix Convention Center where President Donald Trump is set to hold a campaign-style rally at 6 p.m.
Organizers are expecting thousands to protest a possible pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who faces six months in prison for flouting a court order to stop racially profiling Latinos as suspected undocumented immigrants.
James Garcia is communications director with PAZ, one of several groups organizing the rally. He called the idea of a pardon hypocritical.
"This is the same contingency of people who insist that the law is the law and this is why there should be zero tolerance towards the presence of undocumented immigrants,” Garcia said. "And yet, after a federal judge convicts Sheriff Arpaio, the President seems quite willing to come and essentially say, 'The law doesn't matter.'"
Arizona Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva will headline the protest, with contingents from multiple groups including Puente, Indivisible, and Somos America. Trump supporters are expected to flock to the event as well, and mount a counter-protest outside.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton asked the President to delay his trip, in light of the violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Va., but the request was disregarded.
Garcia said he worries extremists may have taken heart after the President's initial tepid response to Charlottesville.
"The death of the young woman there speaks to the worst that can happen when essentially, you allow and inspire folks who somehow believe that it's perfectly fine to be racist; it's perfectly fine to be white supremacist,” he said.
The Phoenix Police Department is putting plans in place to prevent any clashes between the two sides in the hopes that the event will remain peaceful, much like the anti-hate demonstrations over the weekend in Boston and Dallas.
