As concerns about ICE increase, Wind River leaders urge tribal members to carry IDs

Tribal governments asserted sovereignty and acknowledged rumors of ICE agents potentially interacting with tribal citizens in other parts of the country.
Bluff above Fort Washakie
A bluff above Fort Washakie on the Wind River Reservation. (Hannah Habermann / Wyoming Public Media)

by | Jan 30, 2025 | Tribal News

Like what you’re reading? Make our newscast part of your daily listening routine. Subscribe on Spotify (or wherever you listen to podcasts). 

Leaders on the Wind River Reservation are encouraging tribal members to carry some sort of identification with them. It comes in response to ramped-up efforts to enforce immigration policy under the Trump administration. Other tribal nations across the country have been issuing similar instructions.

Earlier this week, the Eastern Shoshone Business Council (SBC) and Northern Arapaho Business Council (NABC) released statements on the tribes’ official Facebook pages addressing worries about ICE activity and impacts on local communities.

Both tribal governments asserted their sovereignty and acknowledged rumors of ICE agents potentially interacting with tribal citizens in other parts of the country.

Advertisement

The Arizona Republic recently reported that leaders of the Navajo Nation reached out to the governors of Arizona and New Mexico to address those unverified reports.

The NABC called those national reports “deeply troubling” and shared that they had called an emergency meeting with Tribal officials and a representative from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police to voice concerns.

“The NABC has the honor and duty to defend all Members of our Tribal community, and we write to reassure the Northern Arapaho people of our unwavering commitment to our Tribe’s sovereignty and your safety and security,” it wrote in its statement. “We are pursuing all options to protect our Tribe and its people.”

The SBC wrote that it is “committed to protecting our Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868 and self-governance” and will “work diligently through the established government-to-government relationships we have fostered and further address any challenges with this new U.S. administration.”

“While we don’t agree with many of the newly enacted policies, we will fight for our rights and be prepared to support our tribal members, regardless of where they reside,” the council said in its statement.

The SBC also emphasized that Native Americans are U.S. citizens, a right that was granted in 1924 when Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act. An article published in Yahoo News raised concern that Trump’s efforts to overturn birthright citizenship would also negate Indigenous citizenship.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the president’s executive order to end birthright citizenship on Jan. 23. That stay lasts for two weeks.

Neither statement from the SBC or the NABC explicitly mentioned ICE raids on the Wind River Reservation. However, both councils encouraged members to carry their tribal IDs.

The enrollment offices for both tribes are also waiving fees for tribal IDs and have options to get them to those who live out-of-state.

“Certificates of Indian Blood can also be provided to tribal members upon request, including those who live out of state,” states the SBC release. “To have a photo with one color background added to the certificate, please email it to enrollment@easternshoshone.org. For tribal IDs, you can email a passport-type photo, signature, height, weight and hair and eye color.”

The Northern Arapaho Enrollment Department shared a list of FAQs and specific information for out-of-state tribal IDs.

Wyoming Public Media has reached out to the Eastern Shoshone Business Council and the Northern Arapaho Business Council, as well as ICE’s Denver office. They didn’t respond in time of publication. This story will be updated if they do.

Want More Stories Like This?

Donate any amount to support independent media in the Tetons.

KHOL 89.1 Jackson Hole Community Radio Membership Support Ad

About Hannah Habermann

Hannah is a NOLS Instructor, writer, and co-creator of the KHOL podcast "Yonder Lies: Unpacking the Myths of Jackson Hole." In her free time, she loves watering her plants, doing the Sunday crossword, and jumping into cold bodies of water.

Related Stories

Pin It on Pinterest

KHOL 89.1 FM
Bluff above Fort Washakie
KHOL 89.1 Jackson Hole Community Radio Membership Support Ad
Wind River Reservation residents say Biden’s Native boarding school apology needs follow-up
‘History in the making’: Long-sought collection comes home to the Northern Arapaho Tribe
Indigenous Youth Voices reconnects young adults to Grand Teton and Yellowstone
Radio Bilingue Logo
Jackson Hole Center for the Arts Logo
Jackson Hole Center for the Arts Logo
Close
undefined
Close

Be The First To Know.

Get the latest news in Jackson Hole straight from KHOL staff to your inbox.

? Take future action with a single click.
Log in or  Sign up for FastAction

Contact Information