Tribal leaders across the country are preparing their members with information on what to do if federal law enforcement officials approach them as the Trump administration scales up deportation efforts.
The guidance — for members to carry their tribal identification cards with them at all times and know their rights if approached — follows what tribal leaders call concerning encounters with immigration officials.
Tribal advocates said that a history of state and federal officials not understanding tribal documents poses a threat to members.
“The history of being misidentified is long,” said Judith Le Blanc, executive director of the Native Organizers Alliance and a citizen of the Caddo Nation. “Our [U.S.] citizenship is so valuable to us, and we want to ensure that it is protected.”
Le Blanc said that with the Trump administration tapping other law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, for immigration duties, there is more room for distrust and confusion.
Reported incidents have tribal members on high alert
Just days after President Trump took office, reports began reaching tribal leaders in the Southwest about encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
While tribal leaders said several reports were unverified, a letter to Trump sent on Tuesday from Democrats from Arizona, New Mexico and California said one confirmed incident in a New Mexico convenience store is “spreading fear in communities that have existed since time immemorial.”
The Democrats said that in the incident, an ICE officer questioned a Mescalero tribal member’s citizenship even after being shown tribal identification.