The Oglala Sioux Tribe President's Reluctance to Comply with Immigration Dealings
Oglala Sioux Tribe president Frank Star Comes Out has clarified that tribal members detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were not immigrants in the classical sense, but rather citizens of both the United States and their tribe.
According to Comes Out, three Oglala Sioux Tribe members living under a bridge in Minneapolis were transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling. The detainees' case has highlighted the complex relationship between tribal sovereignty and federal immigration policies.
Comes Out argued that as "citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty," these individuals are not subject to the same immigration laws and regulations as other Americans.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, Comes Out claimed that this situation represents a clear case of treaty violation. He emphasized that treaties, which are not optional or conditional, have been breached in this instance.
Comes Out further stated that tribal citizens should never be made to feel like "negotiable" entities who need to be dealt with by the federal government. In essence, he rejected any deal with ICE that could facilitate future unauthorized entries onto tribal lands for detention or arrest purposes.
When asked whether his tribe would consider entering an agreement with ICE, Comes Out made it clear that this was something they were unwilling to do.
Meanwhile, other Indigenous Americans have reported experiencing similar issues with immigration authorities. In November last year, actress Elaine Miles from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation claimed she was detained by ICE officers who questioned her tribal ID as "fake."
Miles recounted a conversation where an agent told her that anyone could claim to be an Indigenous American – essentially implying that tribal IDs were invalid.
In light of these events, Comes Out and other tribal leaders have called for greater understanding and recognition of the unique challenges faced by Native communities in the context of immigration policy.
Oglala Sioux Tribe president Frank Star Comes Out has clarified that tribal members detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were not immigrants in the classical sense, but rather citizens of both the United States and their tribe.
According to Comes Out, three Oglala Sioux Tribe members living under a bridge in Minneapolis were transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling. The detainees' case has highlighted the complex relationship between tribal sovereignty and federal immigration policies.
Comes Out argued that as "citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty," these individuals are not subject to the same immigration laws and regulations as other Americans.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, Comes Out claimed that this situation represents a clear case of treaty violation. He emphasized that treaties, which are not optional or conditional, have been breached in this instance.
Comes Out further stated that tribal citizens should never be made to feel like "negotiable" entities who need to be dealt with by the federal government. In essence, he rejected any deal with ICE that could facilitate future unauthorized entries onto tribal lands for detention or arrest purposes.
When asked whether his tribe would consider entering an agreement with ICE, Comes Out made it clear that this was something they were unwilling to do.
Meanwhile, other Indigenous Americans have reported experiencing similar issues with immigration authorities. In November last year, actress Elaine Miles from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation claimed she was detained by ICE officers who questioned her tribal ID as "fake."
Miles recounted a conversation where an agent told her that anyone could claim to be an Indigenous American – essentially implying that tribal IDs were invalid.
In light of these events, Comes Out and other tribal leaders have called for greater understanding and recognition of the unique challenges faced by Native communities in the context of immigration policy.
... i mean, whats next? ICE showing up at your doorstep saying "sorry, buddy, you're not really american if your grandma was native american"? its all about respectin' tribal sovereignty, period 
. if we cant even trust our own government to understand the nuances of immigration policy, how are we supposed to protect ourselves? 
and whats with this "negotiable entities" BS? newsflash, ICE: tribal citizens are not for sale 
. we need federal policies that take into account our rich history, culture, and way of life, not just some cookie-cutter approach that ignores the very real challenges we face 
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, but this situation with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and ICE is really eye-opening. I mean, come on, people are being treated like their tribal IDs aren't valid? That's just not right 
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, I can see why he'd want to protect his people from being treated like "negotiable" entities 
.
Like, if they're US citizens by statute and tribal citizens by treaty, shouldn't that be good enough? 
It's like, just 'cause there's a piece of paper don't mean squat if it ain't enforced properly. 
But seriously, it's not okay that tribal members are being made to feel like they're not even Americans. They should be treated with the same respect & dignity as anyone else. 
It's time for us to have a bigger conversation about what it means to be American in the first place... 
. and can we talk about how ridiculous it is to question someone's identity with their own ID? like, what even is fake here? isn't that just racist undertones at play 
. we need more of these leaders speaking truth to power, you know? 
. As Citizens of the US and their own tribes, these individuals shouldn't be treated like regular immigrants, right? 
. And I can see why – it's frustrating when your very identity becomes something to be questioned or 'negotiated' with 
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. i mean, come on, you're telling me that just because someone's also part of a tribe doesn't mean they're not subject to the same laws? that's like saying "oh, but i'm also a member of team usa, so the rules for soccer don't apply to me"? no, it's all about where your allegiance is 
. the tribes are already getting screwed by the gov, now we need to make them feel like they're not even people? 
. someone needs to step in here and figure out how to balance tribal sovereignty with federal policies that don't seem to care about the nuances of it all 
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. We need to have a more nuanced conversation about how our immigration policies affect Native communities, not just talk about 'sovereignty' or whatever 
. I'm totally with President Comes Out on this one, no deal is happening 
. I mean, who wouldn't want their citizens to be treated like non-entities by the federal government? It's not like they have a right to exist under treaties and all that jazz. And yeah, it's super convenient for them when those "citizens of the US" happen to live on tribal lands too... just an added bonus 
.
The fact that these Oglala Sioux Tribe members were detained under ICE is just, like, so messed up! 
How can we even explain this to them?
Frank Star Comes Out is totally right in saying that these treaties have been breached. It's not like anyone thought it was okay to just ignore our sovereignty and stuff. 
We need to stand together as a community and fight for our rights. We can't just sit back and let this happen over and over again... 
Who's with me?! 