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Oglala Sioux Tribe President Demands Release of Members Detained by ICE in Minnesota
The president of South Dakota’s Oglala Sioux Tribe has called for the immediate release of tribal members who were detained last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a homeless encampment in Minneapolis.
Frank Star Comes Out issued a statement Tuesday confirming that three of four tribal members arrested on Friday have been transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling in Minnesota. One member has since been released.
“The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s memorandum makes clear that ‘tribal citizens are not aliens’ and are ‘categorically outside immigration jurisdiction,'” Star Comes Out stated. “Enrolled tribal members are citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty.”
The circumstances surrounding the arrests remain unclear. According to Star Comes Out, when tribal officials contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they were only provided with the first names of the detained men. The agency reportedly refused to release additional information unless the tribe “entered into an immigration agreement with ICE.”
Star Comes Out has firmly rejected this condition, stating the tribe has no plans to enter such an agreement with federal immigration authorities. In a Facebook post, he revealed that the detained individuals were experiencing homelessness and living under a bridge in Minneapolis prior to their arrest.
The tribal leader’s formal demands include immediate information on the status of those still in detention, the release of all tribal citizens in ICE custody, and a meeting between tribal and federal government officials. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The detention site at Fort Snelling carries historical significance that adds another layer of concern for Indigenous communities. Nick Estes, an associate professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, noted the location’s troubling past.
“It has this really notorious anti-Indigenous, specifically anti-Dakota, history,” Estes explained. Fort Snelling was the first military outpost in the area and served as a prison for Dakota people during the Dakota War of 1862, an armed conflict between the U.S. and Native Americans. “It’s kind of like a continuation on the monopoly of violence from the military outpost to the ICE facility,” Estes added.
This incident is not isolated. Throughout the past year, multiple tribal citizens have reported being wrongfully detained by immigration authorities. Elected leaders from the Navajo Nation reported tribal citizens in Arizona and New Mexico being stopped and detained by ICE officers. In November, a member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona was mistakenly scheduled for deportation after being arrested in Iowa before officials recognized the error and released her.
That same month, actress Elaine Miles, known for her roles in “Northern Exposure” and “The Last of Us” and a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, reported being stopped by ICE officers in Washington state who claimed her tribal ID appeared fake.
In response to these concerning incidents, Indigenous rights groups and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians have established locations in Minneapolis where tribal citizens can obtain official tribal identification cards to present if approached by immigration authorities.
“I never thought that I’d have my tribal ID hanging around my neck, but I do,” said Mary LaGarde, executive director of the Minneapolis American Indian Center. “So, it’s just important that they have proper identification on them and not to panic.”
The detentions have raised significant questions about federal immigration enforcement practices regarding Native American tribal members, whose legal status as both U.S. citizens and members of sovereign tribal nations should place them outside the jurisdiction of immigration enforcement actions.
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6 Comments
This is a concerning situation involving the arrest and detention of Oglala Sioux Tribe members by ICE. I hope the authorities can provide more transparency and work to resolve this issue promptly, respecting the sovereignty and rights of the tribal members.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s statement that their members are ‘categorically outside immigration jurisdiction’ raises important questions about the application of federal immigration laws on tribal lands and the obligations of ICE to respect tribal sovereignty.
As an observer, I’m curious to learn more about the legal and historical precedents around the rights of indigenous tribes vis-à-vis federal immigration enforcement. This case seems to raise some complex questions that warrant further examination.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges around the intersection of tribal sovereignty, federal immigration enforcement, and the rights of indigenous peoples. I’m interested to see how this situation develops and whether it leads to any policy changes or legal clarifications.
The refusal of ICE to provide more information to the Oglala Sioux Tribe is concerning. Transparency and cooperation from federal agencies is crucial when dealing with the detention of tribal members on issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction.
Tribal sovereignty and the rights of indigenous peoples must be protected. I’m curious to learn more about the specific circumstances surrounding these arrests and what legal grounds ICE is claiming for the detention of these tribal members.