10/01/2026
Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement, ICE, in the United States has been a divisive and abhorrent tool–pitting citizens against one another and allowing discrimination take a foothold in our country. The loss of Renee Nicole Good’s life, in Minneapolis, MN, by an ICE agent and the targeting of indigenous, black, and brown communities in the Twin Cities: the Franklin Corridor and Little Earth. It is necessary to provide information that would come in handy if you are to get detained by ICE.
“Native Americans born in the United States are U.S. citizens, and ICE cannot arrest them for immigration violations or deport them.” NARF and ACLU 2025.02.05.
WHAT TO DO IF ICE QUESTIONS YOUR CITIZENSHIP:
1. Carry your Tribal ID and any other valid forms of ID’s, (State ID, Driver’s License, Certificate of Indian Blood, Passports, etc.) if you are ever concerned about being stopped and have your citizenship questioned.
2. You have the right to remain silent and to refuse consent to any search. You can also ask if you are being arrested for any crime related to immigration, if ICE agents say no, then you are legally free to go.
3. If ICE agents knock on the door to your home, you do not have to open the door unless they possess a valid warrant signed by a judge.
4 If you are being detained you have the right to contact your lawyer, or 303-447-8760, for legal support NARF, Native American Rights Fund, or if you are attending any peaceful protests or demonstrations–plan ahead and designate an emergency contact who has a voicemailbox set up. You might have to advocate for your right to contact your lawyer or emergency contact who can coordinate with law.
5. Record everything, you have the right to record any arrest unless it directly prevents the arrest.
Reference links:
TMBCI Tribal ID online application
https://tmchippewa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/TM-Tribal-ID-App-2022.pdf
Additional NARF Resources
https://narf.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025.02.05-NativeAmericanStatement-1.pdf
It is also important to consider that for some tribal nations ICE will need to make agreements with tribal governments to conduct operations on tribal trust lands, meaning that TMBCI has the right to deny ICE entry upon our tribal trust lands.
