In a disturbing case highlighting the friction between federal immigration enforcement and Indigenous sovereignty, Upper Peninsula tribes are vehemently condemning the wrongful detention of a Native American woman by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. The incident has ignited a firestorm of criticism regarding racial profiling and the systemic failure of federal agents to recognize tribal citizenship.
The catalyst for this outcry was the November 2023 arrest of Arline LaBarge-Warren, a respected elder and citizen of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC). LaBarge-Warren was detained by ICE in Sherburne County, Minnesota, and held in custody for several days despite being a born U.S. citizen. Tribal leaders argue that her detention was a direct result of racial profiling, where agents mistakenly identified her as a Latina immigrant based solely on her physical appearance, completely disregarding her Indigenous identity.
This egregious error has drawn sharp rebukes from major tribal nations in the region. The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, one of the largest federally recognized tribes in the United States, passed an official resolution denouncing ICE’s actions. The tribe condemned the detention not only as a violation of civil rights but as an infringement on the sovereign status of Native nations. They argue that the U.S. government’s Trust Responsibility includes protecting tribal citizens, not subjecting them to humiliation and wrongful imprisonment.
The KBIC has echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the psychological trauma inflicted on their member. For many Indigenous people, the prospect of being taken into custody and held against their will evokes painful historical memories of forced assimilation and boarding schools. By failing to verify LaBarge-Warren’s citizenship or acknowledge her tribal enrollment card, agents exacerbated this intergenerational trauma.
Critically, this case exposes a dangerous pattern of racial profiling affecting Indigenous populations nationwide. Native Americans often share phenotypical features with Latino populations, leading to frequent misidentification by border and immigration enforcement. Tribal advocates are demanding that ICE implement mandatory training to help agents distinguish between tribal identification and immigration documentation. Furthermore, they are calling for policy changes that would require the immediate release of individuals presenting valid Tribal IDs.
As the Upper Peninsula tribes unite in their condemnation, the message is clear: racial profiling is unacceptable, and the sovereignty of tribal nations must be respected. They are demanding accountability from the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that no other Native American citizen is subjected to such wrongful detention again. This incident serves as a stark reminder that without comprehensive reform, Indigenous rights remain vulnerable to federal overreach.
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