Fact check
“Data shows that sheriff’s deputies in Maricopa County continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers.”
Reasoning
The claim is directly supported by several excerpts from reputable investigative reports that reference traffic stop data analyzed by a university professor and court-appointed monitors, indicating that Latino motorists are significantly more likely to be arrested and searched than white motorists in Maricopa County.
On confidence: Multiple independent primary sources (ProPublica and Arizona Luminaria) directly cite data and court analysis confirming higher search and arrest rates for Latino drivers compared to white drivers.
Important context
The data referenced comes from traffic reports collected by the sheriff’s office and analyzed by external experts and monitors as part of ongoing court oversight of the department.
Evidence
Supporting (8)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
adequately investigates deputies’ alleged misconduct. In denying the recent motion, Snow cited data showing that sheriff’s deputies in Maricopa County continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers,…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
motion, Snow cited data showing that sheriff’s deputies in Maricopa County continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers, echoing the racial disparities that first led to court oversight of the…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
Robert Warshaw, left, a court-appointed monitor, and Maricopa Sheriff Jerry Sheridan speak before a legally required community outreach meeting in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix in 2025. Ash Ponders for ProPublica Judge Denies…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
Luminaria September 18, 2026, 1:10 pm Listen 11:46 Contrast Change Appearance Auto Light Dark This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Arizona Luminaria . Sign up for Dispatches to get our…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceMaricopa County sheriff says his department eliminated racial bias. Data shows otherwise. - AZ Luminaria
detail. The report, analyzed by a court-appointed monitor, showed individual deputies had not used race to initiate that limited sample of traffic stops. But annual reviews of every traffic stop or arrest of a Latino driver have repeatedly…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThis Arizona county was the “model” for local police carrying out immigration raids. It ended in civil rights violations. - AZ Luminaria
Sheriff’s Office had made significant gains. “But the areas where he’s not in compliance are pretty important areas,” he said. The sheriff’s office analyzes traffic stop data quarterly to identify deputies with notable disparities in who…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
motorists, are stopped 30% longer than white motorists and are 2.5 times more likely to be searched than white motorists. The responsibility is on the defendants to explain the stark disparities for Latino drivers, Snow said. “They have…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
approximates that Hispanic motorists are 40% more likely to be arrested than white motorists, are stopped 30% longer than white motorists and are 2.5 times more likely to be searched than white motorists. The responsibility is on the…
Limitations
The evidence does not provide the raw data or detailed methodology, so while the claim is supported, the precise magnitude of the disparity cannot be independently verified from the excerpts alone.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:46 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Judge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as Racial Profiling of Latinos PersistsProPublica · Yana Kunichoff