Supervisors have given Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos 10 days to give them a report concerning his work history while an El Paso police officer, disciplinary action he took against a department employee who was also a political rival and how much his deputies cooperate with federal ICE agents.
Originally brought up during a board meeting last month, the report can be made to the board in person or in writing, according to Supervisor Jen Allen. It is being requested under a state law which, if Nanos does not comply, could lead to his ouster as sheriff.
Allen read out the report request during the board's Tuesday meeting. Here's what is asks of Nanos:
• Details about "prior representations" of Nanos' work history, specifically with the El Paso Police Department. That includes the circumstances of his departure, and dates of his employment "as reflected in application materials, résumés and prior testimony with Pima County." It also seeks his disciplinary history, including suspensions, and steps Nanos will take "to address this matter, restore public confidence and ensure the accuracy and completeness of (his) official background and employment representation in the future;"
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• Details on disciplinary actions Nanos took in late 2024 against Heather Lappin, the Republican candidate who ran against Nanos that year, and Aaron Cross, president of the union, Pima County Deputy's Organization. Nanos will also be asked to "identify whether existing policies, procedures and supervisory practices adequately safeguard impartiality and consistency in disciplinary decisions, and describe any steps (he) will take to clarify standards, strengthen review processes and prevent the appearance of retaliatory or uneven enforcement in future matters involving employees engaged in protected or political activities;"
• Explanation of "the nature and extent of communications or coordination" between his department and federal immigration officials since 2021, when Nanos took office; and
• An explanation of "how and why" the department has repeatedly gone over budget while he has been sheriff.
The report request followed a four-hour, closed-door discussion by the board. Public discussion of the report, however, lasted fewer than five minutes.
Concerns about Nanos' reported work history was first reported by The Arizona Republic in March. It noted that Nanos had said he worked in the El Paso Police Department for two years longer than he actually did. The Republic revealed he left that department in 1982, when given the choice to resign or be fired after a series of suspensions and disciplinary measures. The Republic also reported that in a December 2025 deposition, Nanos was asked if he'd ever been suspended, and he testified he had not.
Lappin, who lost the election to Nanos by 481 votes, was suspended by Nanos three weeks before the general election in 2024, after the Sheriff's Department accused her of posting a photo on her campaign’s Facebook page showing deputies campaigning in uniform. Cross, the union leader, was also suspended at the time.
Nanos was found to have used his position and department resources "for political gain" when he disciplined Lappin and Cross, according to a report summary obtained by the Star from a firm that handles personnel disputes.
In a court brief filed last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona alleged that Pima County deputies collaborated with border agents despite Nanos' repeated assurances to the public that his deputies don't collaborate with federal immigration authorities.
The ACLU of Arizona's court filing highlighted several incidents in which local deputies called Border Patrol after interacting with Spanish speakers who were not suspected of committing a crime, what ACLU of Arizona immigrants' rights attorney John Mitchell said in a news release was a potential violation of the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
