Overview
- The Oglala Sioux Tribe says four members were detained in Minneapolis on Jan. 8, one was released, and three were transferred to the ICE detention center at Fort Snelling.
- The tribe asserts the detentions violate treaties and that enrolled citizens are U.S. citizens by statute and therefore outside immigration jurisdiction.
- Tribal officials report federal authorities shared only the detainees’ first names and pressed the tribe to enter an ICE agreement for more details, a condition the tribe rejected.
- The tribe is seeking immediate confirmation of who is detained, the release of all enrolled citizens held by ICE, written assurances that such detentions will cease, and government-to-government consultation.
- Legal advocates warn Indigenous people are being misidentified as undocumented, note officers’ unfamiliarity with tribal IDs, and say homelessness can impede access to documentation; ICE says a separate Jan. 8 stop involving Jose Roberto “Beto” Ramirez remains under investigation.