‘Stop harassing Native Americans and violating Tribal sovereignty’
In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump this week, New Mexico’s congressional delegation joined several of their colleagues in addressing reported incidents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement harassment of Native Americans. In the letter, the members write they have heard of several such incidents and urge Trump “to immediately direct your agents to stop harassing Native Americans and violating Tribal sovereignty.”
In addition to an incident in New Mexico, the letter cites similar instances in other states. The letter also requests Trump direct ICE agents to accept tribal identification as proof of citizenship, and to explain the criteria they are using to stop and question Native Americans.
“ICE’s dangerous behavior of harassing American citizens, seemingly only due to the way they look, is unconstitutional and un-American,” the letter said. “The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted citizenship to all Native Americans. Native Communities are quintessentially American communities. Your Administration’s actions and policies are quickly spreading fear in communities that have existed since time immemorial. It is unconscionable to question their citizenship and cause them to live in fear.”
In addition to all five members of the state’s all-Democratic delegation, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson (D-M.S.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Jared Huffman (D-C.A.) and U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) also signed the letter.
