- ICE detained four enrolled Oglala Sioux members in Minneapolis, prompting tribal leaders to demand their immediate identification and release.
- Tribal officials urge members to assert tribal and U.S. citizenship rights and to refuse to speak without an attorney present.
- The detentions occur amid a massive ICE surge in Minnesota, raising concerns of racial profiling and inadequate officer training on Native citizenship.
The recent detention of four enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis has sparked outrage and renewed calls for clarity on Native American citizenship rights amid a massive federal immigration enforcement surge.
On January 9, 2026, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out publicly addressed the incident in a statement shared on Facebook.
He explained that he had been made aware of the detentions of four tribal members, who are homeless and were living under a bridge near the Little Earth housing complex in south Minneapolis.
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This area, home to nearly 1,500 residents—many of whom are Native American—serves as a key hub for the Indigenous community in the city.
Details of the Troubles
According to the tribal leader, a fellow Oglala Sioux member witnessed the detainment and was able to confirm the men’s enrollment in the tribe, though their names were not recorded by ICE at the time of custody.
Tribal attorneys have since reached out to Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (a member of the White Earth Ojibwe) to locate the men, verify their identities, and secure their release.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe, based on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, stands ready to provide official enrollment records to federal authorities.
In his statement, President Star Comes Out emphasized the tribe’s preparedness to act swiftly. He also issued clear guidance for all members who might encounter ICE agents.
The recommended response includes this verbatim declaration: “I am a citizen of the OGLALA LAKOTA NATION, a federally recognized Tribal Nation. Under the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, all Native people born within the territorial limits of the United States are recognized as U.S. citizens by birthright. Because I am both a Tribal citizen and a U.S. citizen, ICE has no lawful authority to detain me.”
He further advised that detained members should not speak without an attorney present and should immediately contact him or other tribal officials.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe, one of the largest federally recognized tribes with over 52,000 enrolled members, is part of the Lakota Nation.
The Pine Ridge Reservation spans more than 2.1 million acres in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska.
It holds deep historical significance, tied to events like the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.
Today, the tribe faces ongoing challenges, including high poverty rates (with some estimates over 50%), unemployment as high as 80-89%, and limited access to healthcare and infrastructure.
This incident unfolds against the backdrop of an unprecedented ICE operation in Minnesota.
Latest Immigration Developments in the US
The Trump administration has deployed more than 2,000 federal officers to the state—the largest immigration enforcement surge in U.S. history, according to Homeland Security officials.
The crackdown has been linked in part to a fraud scandal involving Somali residents in the area.
Tensions escalated dramatically on Wednesday when an ICE officer fatally shot a woman identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in south Minneapolis, triggering widespread protests with hundreds marching under chants of “ICE out now.”
The events have drawn sharp criticism from local and state leaders.
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar noted that the number of ICE officers in the state now exceeds the combined police forces of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Lt. Gov. Flanagan herself condemned the situation, stating:
“Native people have been here since time immemorial – there’s no one that has been a citizen of this country longer than us.
The obvious racial profiling happening to our community is disgraceful. My heart breaks to hear about what’s happening and it pisses me off.
ICE is doing nothing but making our communities less safe.
They need to get out of Minnesota and leave us alone. To Indian Country – take care of each other, protect each other, and continue to have each other’s backs.
I’m with you. This won’t be the last you hear from me on this.”
Reports from Indigenous media outlets like ICT indicate that at least five Native American men have been detained in the Minneapolis area during the raids, with additional community members questioned.
Advocates point to fears of racial profiling, where agents appear to target individuals based on appearance, mistaking Native people for immigrants from Central or South America.
This isn’t an isolated pattern. In recent years, including 2025, tribes like the Navajo Nation reported dozens of members being questioned or briefly detained by ICE, even though Indigenous people born in the U.S. cannot be deported.
Native American actress Elaine Miles, known for her role in “Northern Exposure,” shared her own experience of being stopped by agents who dismissed her tribal ID as looking “fake.”
Similar accounts have emerged from other tribes, including the Mescalero Apache and Salt River Pima-Maricopa, where agents questioned IDs or held individuals temporarily before release.
Organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) continue to remind tribal citizens of their rights: remain silent if questioned, refuse consent to searches without a warrant, and carry forms of ID like tribal enrollment cards, state driver’s licenses, or U.S. passports.
Despite federal law guaranteeing Native citizenship since 1924, these recurring incidents highlight gaps in training and awareness among enforcement officers.
What Happens Now?
As the Oglala Sioux Tribe awaits updates on the four detained members, the broader Indigenous community in Minneapolis and beyond watches closely.
The surge in ICE activity has left many feeling vulnerable in a city that has long served as an urban center for Native life.
With protests ongoing and tribal leaders mobilizing, the situation underscores deep tensions between federal immigration enforcement and the sovereign rights of Native nations.
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