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Oglala Sioux Accuse ICE of Illegally Holding 4 Tribal Members as Minneapolis Raids Intensify

Tribal governments are waiving ID fees in Minneapolis to help citizens verify status during heightened immigration enforcement.

FILE - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal during a news conference June 28, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
The car of Patty O'Keefe, a U.S. citizens who was arrested while following federal agents' vehicles and briefly held at a federal facility in Minneapolis, shows glass on the ground after her front driver's side window was smashed in, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
Patty O'Keefe, a U.S. citizens who was arrested while following federal agents' vehicles and briefly held at a federal facility in Minneapolis, stands next to her car showing that her front driver's side window was smashed in, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
Patty O'Keefe, a U.S. citizens who was arrested while following federal agents' vehicles and briefly held at a federal facility in Minneapolis, stands next to her car showing that her front driver's side window was smashed in, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

Overview

  • Oglala Sioux leaders say four unhoused citizens were taken near the Little Earth area and are being held unlawfully, and they are demanding immediate release.
  • Reports from Indigenous outlets and local advocates count at least five Native people detained across the Twin Cities after a surge of roughly 2,000 ICE agents, with some detainees’ whereabouts unclear.
  • Tribal offices are running drop-in hours in Minneapolis and waiving fees for tribal IDs to help members document citizenship and avoid mistaken immigration detention.
  • Community accounts describe aggressive tactics during interactions with agents, including threats to break car windows, use of tear gas and pepper spray, and attempted detentions near Native housing.
  • Native legislators condemned the operations as violations of sovereignty, while civil-rights groups such as the Native American Rights Fund review cases for potential legal action and tribes set up hotlines and know-your-rights support.