The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has called for the immediate release of tribal members detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis. Three of the four tribal members arrested last week have been transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling, according to President Frank Star Comes Out.
President Star Comes Out stated that 'tribal citizens are not aliens' and are 'categorically outside immigration jurisdiction,' emphasizing that enrolled tribal members are U.S. citizens by statute and Oglala Sioux Nation citizens by treaty.
The circumstances of their detention remain unclear. The tribe reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided only the first names of the men and refused to release further information unless the tribe entered into an immigration agreement with ICE. The Oglala Sioux Tribe has no plans to enter such an agreement.
According to President Star Comes Out, the detained tribal members were experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis. One member has since been released. The tribe is demanding information on the status of the three men, their release from ICE custody, and a meeting with the government.
The Fort Snelling facility has historical significance for Indigenous people, having served as a military outpost where Dakota people were held during the Dakota War of 1862. This historical context suggests a continuation of anti-Indigenous practices, according to Nick Estes, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota.
Similar incidents involving ICE detaining tribal members have occurred recently. Last year, the Navajo Nation reported tribal citizens being stopped and detained by ICE in Arizona and New Mexico. In November, a member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community was mistakenly scheduled for deportation before being released. Another incident involved actress Elaine Miles, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, who was stopped by ICE officers in Washington state over a questioned tribal ID.
In response to these events, Indigenous rights groups and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians have established centers in Minneapolis to help tribal citizens obtain tribal ID cards, advising them to carry proper identification when approached by ICE.