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Native American tribes say ICE harassing members amid raids

29 January 2025 at 02:00

Some Native American tribes say tribal members are being harassed by federal immigration agents, while others fear they could be wrongly caught up in immigration raids.

Why it matters: The angst among some Indigenous tribes reflects the confusion and fear even among legal citizens during the Trump administration's immigration raids.


The big picture: Several tribes have issued warnings and advice to their members based on what they say have been encounters in which U.S. immigration agents have demanded proof of citizenship β€” episodes that the tribes have linked to racial profiling.

  • The alarm comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says its agents are arresting more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants a day, part of President Trump's push to deport "millions" of people not authorized to stay in the U.S.
  • Immigration raids in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles β€” and Trump's new directives to allow searches in schools and churches in addition to workplaces and homes β€” have heightened concerns in communities across the country.

Zoom in: The Navajo Nation, one of the nation's largest tribes, said federal immigration agents have been questioning its members.

  • "My office has received multiple reports from Navajo citizens that they have had negative, and sometimes traumatizing, experiences with federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants," Navajo President Buu Nygren said in a statement.
  • Navajo Nation officials told CNN on Monday that at least 15 Indigenous people in the southwestern U.S. have reported being questioned or detained by immigration officers in the past week.
  • The 17.5 million-acre Navajo Nation is in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. It's larger than 10 states.

ICE offices in Utah and Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.

Zoom out: The Mescalero Apache Tribe in New Mexico announced that a member was confronted by ICE agents last week and was asked for ID β€” first in Spanish, although the member spoke English.

  • The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota said it was temporarily waiving all fees for issuing or replacing tribal IDs amid members' concerns about ICE encounters.
  • Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee β€” the tribe's governing body β€” promised in a statement Saturday to "aggressively defend our rights and interests."
  • The tribe offered legal counsel to members who are "improperly detained or questioned," as did the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.

The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, whose land crosses the Utah-Arizona border, advised its citizens to record encounters with ICE, ask for agents' badges and keep their doors closed and ask for a warrant if approached at home.

What they're saying: Trump's immigration executive orders have "raised concern among our tribal members, particularly regarding the potential targeting of our community by immigration agents," Chippewa Cree Tribe chairman Harat BaRete said in a statement.

  • The north-central Montana tribe then released a set of guidelines urging members to remain silent, keep ID handy and report encounters to tribal officials.
  • "The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is in the process of assessing the legal effects of the unlawful and unconstitutional Trump administration Executive Orders and will fiercely defend against any threat to the sovereignty," the South Dakota tribe said in a statement.

Between the lines: It's not unusual for ICE or DEA agents to enter tribal lands for immigration or drug enforcement.

  • Since the Obama administration, U.S. agents have aggressively targeted human smuggling rings that use isolated Indigenous lands to try to move undetected.

Congress didn't grant citizenship to Native Americans until 1924 β€” a development President Trump's lawyers cited in their attempt to justify his temporarily blocked executive order to overturn birthright citizenship.

  • The administration's attorneys last week invoked an 1884 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that denied citizenship to members of tribes to argue that "birth in the United States does not by itself entitle a person to citizenship."
  • Some tribal leaders saw the argument as a threat against their members' U.S. citizenship.

Schools tell parents their kids are safe from ICE arrests on campus

School leaders across the U.S. are working to reassure parents about potential immigration enforcement on campuses after the Trump administration reversed a long-standing policy discouraging enforcement in "sensitive" areas.

Why it matters: The mere possibility of immigration enforcement on campus could cause widespread fear, leading some students to skip school. This would disrupt their education and threaten school funding, which is often tied to attendance.


Catch up quick: The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it was ending the policy of avoiding arrests in churches, schools, hospitals, funerals, weddings, and public demonstrations.

  • "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
  • "The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense."

Context: Children in the U.S. have a right to public education regardless of immigration status, meaning schools don't turn back β€” and in most cases, don't track β€”Β whether a student is in the country without authorization.

Zoom in: Some school districts are taking proactive steps to protect students and families, outlining policies that limit cooperation with immigration authorities and reinforce campus safety measures:

  • Denver Public Schools, a district with roughly 89,000 students, said on Jan. 14 that principals should deny entry to any government official who arrives without prior appointments or legitimate school business and also initiate "secure perimeter" protocols, locking all exterior doors and halting all entries or exits from school buildings.
  • The Salt Lake City School District has urged parents to update emergency contact information and reiterated that it doesn't track students' immigration status and will not report students to immigration authorities.
  • The Philadelphia School District said school staff are instructed not to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with any information about students, families or employees, nor will they be allowed in schools without approval from district lawyers.
  • Last month, San Diego Unified School District board adopted a resolution saying the district will not assist ICE in the "enforcement of federal civil immigration law" and won't allow access to its facilities or personnel unless officers have a warrant.

Reality check: The districts have long maintained policies that exclude immigration issues from schools; they are mainly reiterating these to alleviate fears among families.

Plus: Some districts in GOP-led states say they'll cooperate with ICE or are staying mum on their plans.

  • "Florida schools will cooperate with all law enforcement working to enforce the nation's laws on illegal immigration," Florida's education department spokesperson Sydney Booker told Axios Tampa Bay.
  • Northside ISD, San Antonio's largest district, does not plan to issue any communications or FAQs about immigration, district spokesperson Barry Perez tells Axios.

What they're saying: Nicholas EspΓ­ritu, deputy legal director at the National Immigration Law Center, says it's not clear what ICE enforcement in or around schools could look like.

  • Past administrations have avoided allowing ICE in schools, choosing instead to focus efforts on people with violent criminal histories and who pose a national security threat.
  • "One thing is for sure β€” little children trying to go to school and learn how to read and write don't pose threats to national security," EspΓ­ritu says, adding that even the possibility of enforcement could severely disrupt children's education and growth.

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