Schatz, Murray, Colleagues Demand Answers From ICE on Racial Profiling of Tribal Members, Refusal to Accept Tribal IDs

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For Immediate Release

December 17, 2025

Senators: “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.”

New letter follows efforts Schatz led in February to stop ICE agents from wrongfully profiling and harassing Native citizens.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D–Hawai‘i), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D–Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and 10 of their Senate colleagues demanded answers from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem regarding the mistreatment of Tribal citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a number of recent incidents.

In their letter, the lawmakers cited reports of ICE improperly stopping or detaining Tribal citizens for no apparent reason aside from their physical appearance, and urged Secretary Noem to develop policy and training to ensure that all ICE agents are trained to recognize Tribal IDs, regardless of whether they are working on Tribal lands.

Joining Senators Schatz and Murray in sending the letter were U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D–Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D–Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D–Nev.), Martin Heinrich (D–N.M.), Tim Kaine (D–Va.), Ben Ray Luján (D–N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D–Ore.), Alex Padilla (D–Calif.), Tina Smith (D–Minn.), and Ron Wyden (D–Ore.).

“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.”

The new letter follows calls led by Schatz and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D–N.M.) in February 2025. The senators raised concerns about ICE’s targeting of Tribal members and the agency’s lack of training and guidance regarding Tribal identification. DHS responded at the time that it does not train immigration officers or other law enforcement on how to interact differently with Tribal members, despite acknowledging that U.S.-born Native Americans are U.S. citizens and not subject to ICE’s immigration authority.

In November, Indigenous actor Elaine Miles was approached by four men who identified themselves as ICE agents while waiting for a bus in Redmond, Washington. When Miles presented her Tribal ID issued by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, the agents reportedly claimed the ID was “fake” and that “anyone can make that.”

When Miles attempted to call the Umatilla Tribal enrollment office to verify her identification, an officer allegedly tried unsuccessfully to pry her phone from her hands before departing in unmarked vehicles. Miles also alleges that her son and uncle were also both detained by ICE agents who initially did not accept their Tribal IDs before eventually releasing them. In response, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin—a frequent liar—said in an emailed statement that allegations that DHS law enforcement officers engage in racial profiling “categorically FALSE.”

The senators referenced the Redmond incident in their letter, noting that ICE previously told Members of Congress that “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,” the senators wrote. “ICE agents are demanding certain documents to prove citizenship and are unaware of different forms of Tribal ID.”

The full text of the letter follows below:

Dear Secretary Noem:

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.

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. 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 Tribal IDs, including telling one Tribal citizen that her ID was “fake” and that “anyone can make that.” ICE agents also reportedly refused an offer to contact her Tribal government to verify enrollment and identification documents.

In our February letter, we asked for information about the training offered to ICE agents regarding valid forms of identification and documentation of U.S. citizenship for enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes. In response, you wrote that “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 suggests otherwise.

You have an obligation to uphold the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribes and to treat Tribal citizens with respect. In light of recent incidents, we urge you to develop policies and training to ensure ICE agents are able to recognize Tribal IDs, regardless of whether they are working on Tribal lands.

Additionally, we request responses to the following questions:

• What steps, if any, has your Department taken this year to develop new or modify existing policies regarding interactions with Tribal citizens and governments?

• How are ICE agents trained to respond when presented with Tribally issued identification documents?

• Does the Department require additional resources to develop training and policies related to Tribal identification?

• How is the Department working with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to investigate allegations involving ICE’s treatment of U.S.-born Tribal citizens?

• In light of repeated denials of racial profiling, how does the Department explain the pattern of ICE agents stopping and detaining Tribal citizens under the current Administration?

We appreciate your attention to this request and ask that you respond no later than January 11, 2026.

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United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Vice Chairman Brian Schatz (D–Hawai‘i)

Contact:

Mike Inacay (202) 224-3123