On Tuesday, President Frank Star Comes Out of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota urged for the immediate release of four tribal members detained by ICE at a homeless encampment in Minnesota last week. Out of these, three detainees were transferred to an ICE facility located in Fort Snelling.
In a statement accompanied by a memorandum sent to federal immigration authorities, Star Comes Out emphasized that 'tribal citizens are not aliens' and are entitled to U.S. citizenship and tribal rights. He elaborated that enrolled tribal members hold a unique legal status that places them outside the jurisdiction of immigration enforcement.
Details regarding the circumstances surrounding their detention remain ambiguous. The Department of Homeland Security has been criticized for only providing initial information, insisting that more details would only be shared if the tribe agreed to an immigration agreement.
Star Comes Out made it clear that the tribe does not intend to enter such an agreement with ICE. Sharing on social media, he highlighted that the detained members are struggling with homelessness, living under a bridge in Minneapolis. Currently, he seeks transparency about the situation and a meeting with government representatives to discuss the welfare of the tribal members.
