By GRAHAM LEE BREWER
The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota called on Tuesday for the immediate release of tribal members who were detained at a homeless encampment in Minnesota by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week.
Three of the four Oglala Sioux Tribe members arrested in Minneapolis on Friday have been transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling, President Frank Star Comes Out said in a statement released alongside a memorandum sent to federal immigration authorities.
“The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s memorandum makes clear that ‘tribal citizens are not aliens’ and are ‘categorically outside immigration jurisdiction,’” Star Comes Out said. “Enrolled tribal members are citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty.”
Details surrounding the circumstances that led to their detention remain unclear. According to the memorandum sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, when the tribal nation reached out to the agency, it was provided with only the first names of the men. Homeland Security refused to release more information unless the tribe agreed to “enter into an immigration agreement with ICE.”
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.
Star Comes Out emphasized that the tribe has no plans to enter into an agreement with ICE. In a post on his Facebook page, he stated that the four detained tribal members are experiencing homelessness and living under a bridge in Minneapolis. One of the members has since been released from detention.
In the press release, President Star Comes Out demanded transparency regarding the status of the three men still in detention, called for the release of all tribal citizens in ICE custody, and requested a meeting between the tribe and the government to resolve the situation.
https://www.marinij.com/2026/01/13/immigration-enforcement-tribal-members/
