Joe Arpaio is coming to Monterey County. A protest, with a taco truck, will greet him

When Joe Arpaio, a hawk on immigration, comes to speak in Monterey County Thursday, a taco truck will be waiting to greet him — along with a protest.

Salinas and other areas' chapters of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) are calling on residents to protest Arpaio, who is a former sheriff in Arizona known for his controversial jail and hardline immigration stance.

"We do not want this form of message in our county," said Christopher Barrera, president of Salinas LULAC. "We have enough issues going on currently. We don't need to bring this hate into our area. Our nation is going through enough."

Arpaio is coming to the Palo Corona Regional Park in Carmel to speak at the 2018 Central Coast Liberty Luncheon, sponsored by the Monterey Peninsula Republican Women Federated.

It begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.

The organization and its president, Karen Reissman, did not return emails seeking comment Wednesday.

Barrera said he is expecting several hundred to attend the protest, which runs for four hours starting at 10 a.m.

Water and food will be available, the latter from a taco truck, he said.

All are welcome, as long as they protest peacefully, he said.

"If anybody wants to come out and start problems, please stay home," Barrera said. "We don't need any of that type of behavior going on."

Arpaio appears to welcome the challenge.

"(I) will be featured speaker in (California) at Monterey Peninsula Republican Women Federated," he said on Twitter Wednesday. "Hope pre-event clamoring will be law-abiding protesters with courage to meet me face to face. Arpaio always willing to go face-to-face with protesters."

Arpaio is joined by four guests: Breitbart author Adelle Nazarian, founder of the national college-Republican group Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk and actress Julienne Davis, according to the Republican Women Federated.

LULAC is zeroing in on Arpaio because of his alleged history of racism, especially how he treated inmates at the jail as well as his repeated public remarks on immigration.

"Everything he does is, in our opinion, unacceptable... his actions in Arizona are so extreme," Barrera said. "When he speaks, he's full of hatred of the Latino race."

Arpaio was accused of violating civil rights as sheriff, especially racial profiling. His treatment of jail inmates also earned him the ire of civil rights advocates.

In 2017, Arpaio was found guilty of contempt of court when a judge ruled he refused a court order to stop race-based roundups of suspected undocumented immigrants.

President Donald Trump later pardoned Arpaio, an early Trump presidential supporter.

Arpaio most recently made an unsuccessful run for an open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona.

LULAC won't be providing transport to the protest, which will be near Arpaio's luncheon inside the old Rancho Canada golfing lodge, Barrera said.

His visit also comes at a time when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ramped up operations targeting undocumented immigrants, including in Salinas.

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