The actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are affecting Indigenous peoples in the United States, particularly in Minneapolis, which has seen the deaths of two US citizens.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s an immigration issue. It seems more like a race issue, said Mary LaGarde, Executive Director of the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC).
LaGarde never thought she would be wearing her identification as a member of a federally recognised tribe, but recently members of the Oglala Nation were detained after being unable to produce identification.
In response, tribes in the region are hosting events to provide tribal members with free identification for their own safety.
The fear surrounding these detentions is heightened by where people are being held. The detention centre is located in a federal building at Fort Snelling, a historic site that was once a concentration camp for Dakota people, where between 130 and 300 people died.
“This is very traumatising for us. I guess at this point, I don’t know if that we’re scared anymore as much as we are angry. This is very upsetting. It’s not a good place to be, you know, you know, this is really scary. This is the federal government coming after us.”
“The enforcement here is very scary; they are masked, they are in unmarked cars, and they have weapons,” she stressed."
For many in Minneapolis, these fears have already had fatal consequences. Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renée Good, both aged 37, were tragically killed by ICE agents.
The impact is being felt deeply across Indigenous community organisations in the city. Founded in 1975, MAIC is one of the oldest Native American centres in the United States, providing educational and social services to more than 10,000 community members.
The organisation offers programs focused on cultural preservation, education, health and employment, but many essential services have been forced to pause.
“We’ve had to switch our programming because of the lack of safety, because of the lack of safety with enforcement of the federal agents.”
LaGarde says there has also been retaliation when organisations speak out.
“One of our partner organisations, after their CEO had made a statement to the press, the next day, her building was surrounded by ICE.”
As tensions build, communities are now preparing to respond collectively. This Friday, a US nationwide general strike is set to take place.
“We will participate in some way,” LaGarde said, “Emotionally we’re really having a hard time here.
