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Oglala Lakota Nation Bans ICE and Rejects Immigration Agreement
By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Jan. 23, 2026
The Oglala Sioux Tribe unanimously banned ICE from Pine Ridge and rejected a federal immigration agreement, during a special session of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council on Jan. 21, 2026.Upholding their sovereignty, the Oglala Tribal Council confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked the Tribe to enter into Section 287(g), a federal agreement that would have allowed tribal law enforcement to act as immigration agents for ICE.
The Tribal Council formally rejected any Section 287(g) agreement and voted to ban all ICE agents and activities from Pine Ridge.
The Council resolution also states there is to be nation-to-nation consultation with the Interior Secretary, as required by federal law, concerning any detained Oglala Lakota.
The Tribal Council formally rejected any Section 287(g) agreement and voted to ban all ICE agents and activities from Pine Ridge.
The Council resolution also states there is to be nation-to-nation consultation with the Interior Secretary, as required by federal law, concerning any detained Oglala Lakota.
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| Oglala Tribal Council banning ICE and refusing the federal immigration agreement. |
During the live broadcast, Council members said Lakota are being intensely harassed in Denver, Colorado, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Council also pointed out that Oglala living in Minneapolis were beyond appreciative of the tribe issuing tribal enrollment cards there last week.
During the Council's discussion on providing tribal IDs in Denver, council members said it needs to be done now because Oglalas are being attacked there.
"We've got tribal members out there being attacked daily because of the color of
their skin -- and they don't have identification cards or access to it because they live so far away, and a lot of them are on the streets," said Councilman Garfield Steele, Wounded Knee District.
their skin -- and they don't have identification cards or access to it because they live so far away, and a lot of them are on the streets," said Councilman Garfield Steele, Wounded Knee District.
Council members praised Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out for refusing the federal agreement, citing concerns over sovereignty, jurisdiction, and the unlawful application of immigration authority to U.S. citizens.
Council member Anna Halverson, Pass Creek, said the state and federal government were trying to force the agreement on the tribe and to authorize it.
"I really have to say thank you to President Frank Stark comes out for recognizing that this 287g agreement was not in the best interest and was not allowing us as a tribe to go into agreement with it."
"I've heard other tribes talk about this 287g and I really recommend that they have
their attorneys and their departments look into how serious this is being forced onto us."
"I just solely agree with this resolution to protect our homelands," Councilwoman Halverson said.
The Council's resolution states that any removal of Lakota, who are U.S. citizens, by ICE, exposes federal officials to a civil rights liability.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of Homeland denied that it asked the Oglala Lakota Nation for any agreement. DHS also said there was no record of four Lakota arrested by ICE in Minneapolis during the ongoing ICE sweeps.
The national media rushed to publish the statement.
"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it can’t verify claims that any of their officers arrested or 'even encountered' members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe or found anyone in their detention centers claiming to be a tribal member. They denied asking the tribe for any kind of agreement," AP reported,
Meanwhile, the search continues for Lakotas who were reported arrested by ICE and disappeared at Fort Snelling, the site of removal and genocide of Dakota people in Minneapolis.
"The Tribal President is expected to issue a public notice enforcing the ban, while the Tribe awaits further updates regarding three Oglala Sioux tribal members reportedly detained at Fort Snelling," Indigenous TV reports.
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Meanwhile, ICE continues to brutally attack and disappear migrants and U.S. citizens in Minnesota.
Chairman Jackson said, “Some of them have been detained, and three, four, five hours later, they’re released, because some of these ICE agents don’t understand what a tribal ID represents,” he said. “Some of them are young officers, and they honestly might not know, so I’ve been trying to get the message out there that these are federal IDs," Lakeland PBS reports.
In Denver, a Navajo was arrested by ICE, and tribal officials said it was difficult to obtain their release. Another Navajo, Peter Yazzie, was grabbed by ICE near his work site at 4 a.m. in the Phoenix Valley in Arizona. ICE seized him, ignored his tribal and other IDS, and detained him for four hours, Censored News reports.
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Read about the secretive ICE flights, disappearing migrants and U.S. citizens, departing from the Minneapolis international airport.
Oglala Council video broadcast at KOLC-TV / YouTube
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