The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota is calling for the immediate release of three of its members detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis last week. The arrests happened on January 8 near the Little Earth housing complex, where the men were living without homes under a bridge. Tribe leaders say the men are U.S. citizens and tribal members, so ICE has no right to hold them for immigration reasons.
Background
The Oglala Sioux Tribe is one of the largest Native American tribes in the country, with its main lands on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Its members are U.S. citizens under the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which gave citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. This law means tribal citizens have the same rights as any other American, including protection from immigration detention.
ICE agents picked up four Oglala men during operations in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. The area has a large Native community, and Little Earth is the country's oldest urban Indian housing project. The men were homeless at the time, staying under a bridge next to the complex. Tribe officials first learned of the arrests through reports from family and community members. They contacted jails, ICE hotlines, and federal offices to find out who was held and where.
By Tuesday, January 13, the tribe had the first names of the four men. One was released, but the other three were moved to the ICE detention center at Fort Snelling in Minnesota. This site has a painful history for Native people. In the 1860s, during the Dakota Wars, hundreds of Dakota men, women, and children were held there in harsh conditions. It was also the place of the largest mass execution in U.S. history, where 38 Dakota men were hanged in 1862.
Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out sent a memo to top federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. He made it clear that tribal members are not subject to immigration laws. The tribe sees this as a direct break of treaties between the U.S. government and Native nations, which promise sovereignty and protection for tribal citizens.
Key Details
The tribe has pushed hard to get basic information about the detained men. Federal agencies gave only first names at first. They told tribe leaders that full details would come only if the Oglala Sioux agreed to a new deal with ICE. That deal would let ICE operate more freely on tribal lands. The tribe said no, calling it a threat to their sovereignty.
Demands from the Tribe
President Star Comes Out listed clear demands in his memo and public statements:
- Full names and locations of all detained tribal members.
- Immediate release of everyone held by ICE.
- Written promises from federal agencies to stop detaining Native Americans.
- Direct talks between the tribe and the government as equal nations.
"This is not a misunderstanding or an enforcement discretion issue. This is a treaty violation. Treaties are not optional. Sovereignty is not conditional. Our citizens are not negotiable." – Frank Star Comes Out, President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
The tribe also barred South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem from the Pine Ridge Reservation last Friday. This came after her comments on border security and what she called cartel activity on reservations. Noem now leads DHS, adding to tensions between the tribe and federal leaders.
FOX 9 and other outlets reached out to DHS and ICE for comment. As of now, there has been no response from the agencies.
What This Means
This case points to bigger issues in how ICE carries out arrests under stricter immigration rules. Since President Trump stepped up enforcement, reports have grown of U.S. citizens, including Native Americans, getting caught up in raids. Critics say it shows problems like racial profiling, especially in communities with many Latinos and Native people who might look like immigrants to agents.
For the Oglala Sioux, the Fort Snelling location adds deep hurt. Holding Lakota men there brings back memories of past wrongs against their people. It tests long-standing treaties that the U.S. Supreme Court has called the "supreme law of the land." If ICE keeps the men without proving they lack citizenship, it could lead to lawsuits or more protests.
Other tribes have seen similar problems. In November, actress Elaine Miles from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla was detained by ICE, who dismissed her tribal ID as fake. Groups across the country worry that Native people in cities are at risk during sweeps targeting undocumented immigrants.
The Oglala Sioux enrollment office is setting up help sessions at the Minneapolis American Indian Center on January 16 and 17. They will hand out IDs and documents to make sure tribal members have proof of citizenship if needed.
Tensions run high in Minneapolis, where protests have gathered outside federal buildings. Community leaders say more tribal members might be at risk in urban areas. The tribe wants government-to-government talks to prevent future arrests. Without quick action, this could spark wider action from Native nations upset over what they see as overreach by federal agents.
