Federal Recognition of Tribal IDs is Being Ignored by ICE Agents.

During last years Idaho election, a Republican state senator lost his composure when a discussion turned to racism. Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democratic candidate and member of the Nez Perce Tribe, spoke candidly about the persistence of racism in Idaho, highlighting the states history of white supremacist communities in the north. The senator denied any racism existed and abruptly left the forum, yelling at Carter-Goodheart, Why dont you go back to where you came from?

Carter-Goodhearts family has lived on this land for thousands of years. Experiences like hers are all too familiar for Native Americans. Personally, Ive often been mistaken for being Hispanic. My late mother and several aunts faced similar assumptions people presumed they spoke Spanish or belonged to another ethnic group. For Native Americans, questions about identity are not new, but today, such confusion has become dangerous.

With U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting individuals with darker skin, mistaken identity can lead to detention. Native Americans the original inhabitants of this land are increasingly stopped by masked ICE agents nationwide, simply based on appearance. This violates tribal sovereignty, human dignity, and personal identity.

A recent widely-read story involved Native actress Elaine Miles, detained by four ICE agents while walking to a bus stop in Redmond, Washington. Miles, known for her role as Marilyn Whirlwind in Northern Exposure and other films, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. She presented her federally recognized tribal ID, which is accepted by federal agencies, yet one agent called it fake, and another claimed, Anyone can make that. Miles shared that her son and uncle had faced similar detentions.

This is racial profiling, said Seattle-based Indigenous rights attorney Gabriel Galanda. People are being stopped because of the color of their skin.

Earlier this month, Leticia Jacobo, a citizen of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Tribe, was detained in Iowa over a minor driving charge. Her release was delayed after staff flagged her with an ICE detainer that should never have existed. Her sister questioned, How is she going to get deported if shes a Native American?

These incidents, separated by distance and circumstances, share the same issue: ignoring tribal IDs undermines tribal sovereignty. The consequences are fear, humiliation, and wrongful detention. Native Americans should not face deportation or the threat of family members being taken into custody for presenting valid identification.

The larger question is the training of ICE agents, local jail staff, and law enforcement regarding tribal sovereignty and Native citizenship. Tribal IDs are federally recognized, and tribal nations are sovereign. Yet enforcement often disregards this, leaving Native people vulnerable.

In January, Navajo Nation officials reported that over a dozen Indigenous citizens were caught up in ICE actions. These patterns show that Native Americans must carry tribal IDs and even passports to prove their identity, though the responsibility should lie with federal agencies.

Federal agencies, including ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, must:

• Issue clear directives recognizing tribal IDs as valid federal identification
• Require training on tribal sovereignty for all ICE and Border Patrol officers
• Create a reporting system for wrongful detentions of tribal citizens
• Publicly apologize to Miles, Jacobo, and others wrongfully detained

Until these steps are taken, every Native person risks being denied recognition in their own homeland. Our ancestors had no need for permission to exist here neither do we. Thayk gde nwndmen We are all related.

About the Author: Levi "Calm Before the Storm" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder and editor of Native News Online. He won the 2021 Native Media Award for Best Column and serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net

Author: Sophia Brooks