Bipartisan lawmakers push for ICE training on recognizing tribal IDs following stops of Native Americans

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to undergo training to recognize tribal IDs following reports of Native Americans being wrongly detained by immigration enforcement.

New legislation from Reps. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to train immigration agents to recognize tribal IDs and enrollment documents as valid proof of citizenship.

“When they show a tribal ID or a valid tribal identification document, they’re providing proof that they’re U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens to be able to provide the proof of their citizenship and not be detained or harassed by federal agents. And this is a straightforward training fix,” Davids, a co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, told The Hill.

“When mistakes happen, or when tribal IDs are being ignored, it really erodes trust,” she added.

Numerous Native Americans have reported being approached by ICE........

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