Native American leaders and advocates are pressing for new safeguards after multiple tribal citizens were detained during federal immigration enforcement operations, prompting calls for changes to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers identify and verify U.S. citizens from federally recognized tribes.
The push comes as Congress considers the bipartisan Respect Tribal IDs Act, legislation introduced last month that would require federal immigration officers to receive training on recognizing tribal identification documents. Supporters say the measure is needed after a series of incidents in which Native Americans were stopped, questioned or detained despite being U.S. citizens.
