Native leaders share legal resources as ICE activity increases in Minneapolis

Native leaders shared legal resources with community members during a Jan. 9 press conference in Minneapolis amid increased activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to MPR News. Nikki Love, executive director of the Tiwahe Foundation, displayed a phone number provided by an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund that Native people could call if stopped or detained by federal immigration authorities. Love shared the information with a small crowd gathered near 14th Avenue and Franklin Avenue.

Jacqueline De León, a senior staff attorney with NARF, said racial profiling of Native Americans is a consequence of recent Supreme Court decisions related to immigration enforcement, according to MPR News. De León cited a concurring opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo stating that ethnicity could be considered during immigration stops. De León said Native Americans, who are U.S. citizens, are being questioned based on race. According to MPR News, NARF later posted legal resources advising Native Americans of their rights, and multiple tribal nations in Minnesota urged members and descendants to carry identification.