Minnesota tribes organize ID events amid ICE concerns

Tribes across the Midwest are organizing pop-up events in Minnesota to help Native community members obtain tribal identification as concerns grow about encounters with federal immigration officers, according to CBS News. About 10 tribes have traveled from Wisconsin and the Dakotas to the Twin Cities to assist with applications, with some lowering fees, according to the report.

Christine Yellow Bird of the Three Affiliated Tribes said she traveled from Fargo, North Dakota, to assist members and estimated helping about 100 people in recent weeks, according to CBS. Some tribal members expressed fear of being stopped by federal officers as Operation Metro Surge continues, Yellow Bird said.

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center in Minneapolis hosted one of the events. President Ruth Buffalo told CBS that efforts are focused on protecting people. Tribes also reported recent encounters involving ICE, including a Standing Rock Sioux Tribe member who was detained and later released in Minnesota, according to CBS.