Navajo Nation leaders alarmed over reports of Indigenous people targeted in immigration raids News
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Navajo Nation leaders alarmed over reports of Indigenous people targeted in immigration raids

Navajo Nation officials have said that at least 15 Indigenous people in Arizona and New Mexico have reported being detained or questioned by federal law enforcement and asked to prove their citizenship since last Wednesday.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren released a statement Friday concerning the reports of Indigenous arrest and questioning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Affected Navajo reported “negative, and sometimes traumatizing, experiences with federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants in the Southwest.” After reaching out to the governors of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as other state and federal officials, Nygren advised Navajo citizens to carry picture identification or their Certificate of Indian blood. He also designated the tribal government’s Operation Rainbow Bridge community outreach program to field calls on this issue for his office moving forward.

Operation Rainbow Bridge’s new Immigration Crisis Initiative has compiled resources to help Navajo citizens navigate immigration raids. It reiterated the advice of Nygren on carrying identification, but has also provided information on how to respond to confrontations by ICE.

These reports come as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up his “mass deportation” plans. ICE recorded 956 arrests Sunday — more than three times the daily average from fiscal year 2024. On Trump’s first day in office alone, he issued 10 executive orders and proclamations related to immigration. He has ordered the expansion of expedited removal, a pause on asylum, and the deployment of an additional 1,500 active-duty troops to the border. Many local governments and communities, such as Chicago, have raised alarms and criticized federal enforcement practices, even as Trump’s Department of Justice has ordered prosecutors to investigate state and local officials who do not comply with federal immigration policy.

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