A local group that represents Native American tribes in the Triangle is working to help them prepare for possible ICE encounters, following recent reports of Native Americans being detained alongside immigrants across the country.
Though there have been no records of Native American detainments in North Carolina, some members of the Triangle Native American Society (TNAS) are still concerned. “We're walking on our land. This is our home first,” said Trey Roberts, outreach coordinator for TNAS and a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe. “And now we have anxiety of whether we'll be deemed American enough.”
According to Roberts, TNAS is planning to pass out "know-your-rights" cards to its tribal members.
“We started getting red cards that tell you what to do if you're detained by ICE and tell you what your rights are, just to get them prepared in case they encounter ICE,” Roberts said.
These cards include the right to remain silent and the right to to speak with a lawyer. They also suggest showing the card to an officer during a potential encounter.
Meanwhile, North Carolina Republican Congressman Addison McDowell, who sits on an Indian Affairs committee in Congress, weighed in on this issue.
“All Americans are protected by their rights as citizens, including members of tribal nations,” he said, in a statement to WUNC. “If there are isolated incidents of confusion, they need to be swiftly reviewed and corrected, if needed.”
According to TNAS, North Carolina is home to eight state-recognized tribes and two federally recognized tribes, including the Lumbee - which recently received federal recognition. Members of these tribes often carry Tribal Identification Cards - which can serve as proof of tribal membership and U.S. citizenship.
Roberts said there’s concern that immigration enforcement officers won’t accept their tribal ID cards as proof of citizenship - specifically for those with IDs from state-recognized tribes.
“They [ICE] are seemingly choosing to accept certain forms of identification opposed to others.” Roberts said. “So I think people just have anxiety about the encounter, and whether what they have will be enough.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to an inquiry about these reported incidents.
Roberts said if any Native person is looking for advice about any potential encounters with ICE and want to learn more, they can visit NARF.org.
