The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe has walked back claims he made in a memo and press release earlier this week that immigration enforcement arrested four tribal members and that the federal government attempted to extract an 'immigration agreement' from the tribe in exchange for information about their members’ whereabouts.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that it cannot verify claims of any arrests of Oglala Sioux Tribe members by its officers. Furthermore, they denied requesting any type of agreement with the tribe regarding immigration.
Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out has not responded to numerous requests for comment, including after issuing an updated memo on Thursday.
The allegations arose amid ongoing concerns among Native Americans about the Trump administration's immigration policies and potential racial profiling impacting them. The tension came to a head when Star Comes Out claimed on Facebook that four men were arrested in Minneapolis, a location where ICE has intensified its enforcement operations.
A Series of ICE Arrests of Tribal Citizens
Star Comes Out initially suggested that federal officials indicated the tribe could access information about the arrests if they entered into an immigration agreement with ICE and DHS. However, in a corrective memo, he acknowledged that his prior statement had been 'misinterpreted' and clarified that no such demand was made for an agreement.
He further mentioned that the tribe is currently working with various officials to verify claims of arrests involving tribal members in Minneapolis, which he previously labeled as 'a treaty violation'.
The Department of Homeland Security pushed back, emphasizing that there have been no claims by individuals in their detention centers indicating they are members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and reiterated that no agreement was sought from the tribe regarding information on their members.
Incidents similar to this have been reported in the past involving tribal citizens from various states experiencing ICE-related arrests. These interactions have raised alarms within tribal communities about their rights and safety.
Recent Clashes Between Kristi Noem and Native American Reservations
The ongoing conflict between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and DHS has roots in the broader historical context of their relationship. Tensions escalated when the Tribe's president, Star Comes Out, prohibited DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from entering the Pine Ridge Reservation due to statements she made regarding gang activities allegedly tied to the reservations.
The President’s statements and actions have drawn significant flak and calls for a reconsideration of collaborative agreements with federal immigration authorities, including critiques from tribes about potential complicity in enforcement operations.
