Indigenous leaders in Minnesota have raised the alarm over what they describe as the unlawful detention and racial profiling of Native Americans by federal immigration agents. They allege that US citizens with tribal affiliation are being swept up in a recent immigration enforcement surge.
Arrests Spark Outrage and Legal Challenges
According to Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, four members of the tribe were arrested and detained last week, with three still held in federal custody as of Friday, 16 January 2026. In a separate incident, Jose Roberto "Beto" Ramirez, a 20-year-old member of the Red Lake Nation, was forcibly removed from a car in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, by masked officers. Video of the arrest shows him being pulled from the passenger seat, slammed onto the car's hood, handcuffed, and taken to a detention centre where he was held for roughly ten hours.
These actions have provoked fierce condemnation from state and tribal officials. Minnesota's Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Nation, stated, "The obvious racial profiling happening to our community is disgraceful. My heart breaks to hear about what’s happening and it pisses me off." She emphasised that Native people are the original citizens of the land.
'Our Citizenship Is Not Negotiable'
In a formal letter to Trump administration officials, the Oglala Sioux Tribe argued that the detention of its members is unlawful and violates binding treaties, federal law, and constitutional protections. The tribe asserts that enrolled members are US citizens by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty, placing them categorically outside immigration jurisdiction.
"We are not undocumented immigrants, and we are not subject to unlawful, immigration enforcement actions by ICE or Homeland Security," the letter declares. "Tribal members are not aliens. They are citizens of this land by treaty, by statute, and by history. … Our citizenship is not negotiable."
This sentiment was echoed by the Minnesota Native American Caucus, which called the arrests a "direct assault on Indigenous sovereignty and due process."
Official Responses and Historical Irony
Homeland Security has been unable to verify whether its officers encountered the detained Oglala Sioux members, with a spokesperson requesting basic information to conduct checks. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the operations, claiming officers are conducting "targeted enforcement" and may need to validate the identity of individuals near a target.
Adding a layer of historical gravity, President Star Comes Out noted that the federal detention centre housing the three tribal members is at the site of Fort Snelling. This is where Indigenous people were imprisoned during the Dakota War of 1862 and where two Dakota leaders were executed in 1865. He said the alleged detentions there "underscore why treaty obligations and federal accountability matter today, not just in history."
When pressed on how the administration ensures citizens are not wrongly arrested, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that ICE is focused on detaining individuals "unlawfully present in the country." The situation continues to develop as tribal nations demand the immediate release of their citizens and accountability for the alleged profiling.
