The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, Frank Star Comes Out, has urgently requested the federal government to release tribal members who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week. The members, who were arrested while living in a homeless encampment in Minneapolis, are now facing immigration custody.
Of the four detained members, three were transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling. Star Comes Out asserted in a memorandum sent to federal authorities that tribal citizens are not aliens and are categorically outside immigration jurisdiction. He emphasized that enrolled tribal members are citizens of both the United States by statutory law and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty, reinforcing the tribe’s legal position.
The circumstances that led to their arrest remain unclear, with the tribe only receiving minimal information regarding the detention. According to Star Comes Out, when they sought information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officials only provided the first names of the men and refused further details unless the tribe negotiated an immigration agreement with ICE.
In his statement, he indicated the tribe has no intention of entering such agreements with ICE, stressing the importance of tribal sovereignty. Star Comes Out mentioned that the detained individuals are experiencing homelessness, living under a bridge, and described the situation as dire.
He has requested a full update on the status of the detainees, the release of all tribal citizens in ICE custody, and a meeting between tribal representatives and the government. As of now, DHS has not responded to media inquiries regarding the case.
