In a significant development, the ACLU of Arizona has unveiled records that illuminate the interactions between Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies and the U.S. Border Patrol. This disclosure follows a legal ruling mandating the release of these documents, providing a rare glimpse into the collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
The release comes as a result of a Pima County Superior Court ruling from July, which required the sheriff’s department to share the records. This ruling is part of an ongoing legal effort by the ACLU AZ, focused on uncovering the depth of cooperation between Pima County deputies and agencies like ICE and Border Patrol. For more background on the lawsuit, visit this article.
Sheriff Chris Nanos has consistently maintained that his department does not engage with immigration enforcement, and he asserts there is no existing policy to retain such records. However, the ACLU AZ’s initial lawsuit uncovered a variety of documents showing interactions with immigration agencies up to 2024. In pursuit of more transparency, the group filed a further legal brief earlier this year to obtain more up-to-date records.
Through their efforts, the ACLU received over 1,800 “unsorted incident reports” containing terms like “Border Patrol.” These were distilled into documentation of over 80 instances where deputies interacted with immigration agencies during traffic stops and other incidents. For further details, the ACLU’s press release can be read here.
The records provide details on various incidents, ranging from drug busts and domestic violence calls to suspicious person reports that often did not result in arrests. Despite the revelations, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department indicated that Sheriff Nanos was unavailable to comment on the lawsuit, the documents, or the department’s current policy on engaging with immigration agencies.
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