By GRAHAM LEE BREWER
The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota called on Tuesday for the immediate release of tribal members who were detained at a homeless encampment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota last week.
Three of the four Oglala Sioux Tribe members arrested in Minneapolis on Friday have been transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling, President Frank Star Comes Out said in a statement. The statement was released alongside a memorandum sent to federal immigration authorities.
“The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s memorandum makes clear that ‘tribal citizens are not aliens’ and are ‘categorically outside immigration jurisdiction,’” Star Comes Out explained. “Enrolled tribal members are citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty.”
Details about the circumstances that led to their detention remain unclear. In the memorandum sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Star Comes Out noted that when the tribal nation reached out to the agency, they were provided only with the first names of the detained men. Homeland Security refused to release further information unless the tribe agreed to enter into an immigration agreement with ICE.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, Star Comes Out made it clear that the tribe has no plans to enter such an agreement with ICE.
In a post on his Facebook page, Star Comes Out revealed that the four detained tribal members were experiencing homelessness and living under a bridge in Minneapolis. One of the members has since been released from detention.
In the press release, Star Comes Out demanded full information on the status of the three men still in detention, called for the release of all tribal citizens in ICE custody, and requested a meeting between the tribe and the federal government.
https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/01/13/immigration-enforcement-tribal-members/