U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, along with Senator Patty Murray and ten other senators, have sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. The letter addresses recent reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have improperly stopped or detained U.S.-born Tribal citizens, allegedly based on their physical appearance.
The senators stated: “The disrespect and harassment of U.S.-born Tribal citizens by ICE is outrageous and inexcusable, and we request that you take immediate steps to put an end to it.”
According to the letter, incidents have been reported where ICE agents questioned the validity of Tribal identification cards. One notable case involved Elaine Miles, an Indigenous actor who was approached by individuals identifying themselves as ICE agents at a bus stop in Redmond, Washington. When she presented her Tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, agents reportedly claimed her ID was fake. Miles also said that her son and uncle were detained under similar circumstances before being released.
In response to these allegations, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in an email that claims of racial profiling by DHS law enforcement officers are “categorically FALSE.”
The senators referenced previous communication with Secretary Noem from February 2025 about similar concerns regarding ICE’s handling of Tribal IDs and lack of training for its officers. They noted that DHS had responded by stating: “The ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Academy does not train ERO officers to require any specific document to prove U.S. citizenship.” However, lawmakers argued that recent events suggest otherwise: “The experience of these Tribal citizens in Washington suggests that this is false: ICE agents are demanding certain documents to prove citizenship and are unaware of different forms of Tribal ID,” they wrote.
The letter calls for DHS to develop policies and provide training so all ICE agents can recognize valid Tribal IDs regardless of where they work. The senators also requested answers from Secretary Noem regarding current practices related to recognition of identification for enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes.
“We write to share our alarm over the completely unacceptable treatment of U.S.-born citizens of federally recognized Tribes, who have been stopped and questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on suspicion of being undocumented,” the senators wrote. “In February, several Senators wrote to you following reports of ICE agents improperly stopping or detaining Tribal citizens. In June, you replied with a letter in which you failed to respond to the majority of the questions raised in the letter. Over the past month, we have heard additional alarming reports of ICE improperly stopping or detaining Tribal citizens for no apparent reason aside from their physical appearance. The disrespect and harassment of U.S.-born Tribal citizens by ICE is outrageous and inexcusable, and we request that you take immediate steps to put an end to it.”
“In one recent incident, several Tribal citizens were stopped by ICE agents at a bus stop in Redmond, Washington. These agents reportedly questioned the validity of their Tribal ID, with agents allegedly telling one Tribal citizen that her Tribal ID was ‘fake’ and that ‘anyone can make that.’ ICE agents also reportedly refused an offer to contact her Tribal government to verify these individuals’ enrollment and identification documents,” they continued.
“In our February letter, you were asked to supply information about the training offered to ICE agents about different forms of valid identification and documentation of United States citizenship for enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes. In response, you wrote: ‘The ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Academy does not train ERO officers to require any specific document to prove U.S. citizenship.’ The experience of these Tribal citizens in Washington suggests that this is false: ICE agents are demanding certain documents to prove citizenship and are unaware of different forms of Tribal ID,” according to the letter.
“You have an obligation to uphold the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribes and to treat Tribal citizens with respect—this is not optional. In light of recent incidents, we urge you to develop policy and trainings to ensure that all ICE agents are trained to recognize Tribal IDs, regardless whether they are working on tribal lands,” concluded the senators.
Secretary Noem has been asked by lawmakers for a formal response no later than January 11, 2026.
