Navajo Nation leaders have raised concerns following reports that at least 15 Indigenous people in Arizona and New Mexico were stopped, questioned, or detained by federal law enforcement officers during immigration raids. The individuals were reportedly asked to provide proof of citizenship during these sweeps, which began on Wednesday, according to Navajo Nation officials.
These reports have caused widespread panic in tribal communities across both states. The raids come amid the Trump administration’s push to increase the arrests of undocumented immigrants and to build a larger force to enforce the president’s deportation policies. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the situation.
Investigation Underway into Immigration Sweeps
The exact number of Indigenous tribal citizens, including Navajo members, who were apprehended during these raids is still under investigation. Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley confirmed the ongoing inquiry but noted that it is unclear whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law enforcement agencies were involved in the sweeps. ICE has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
Navajo Nation officials have taken steps to address the situation, contacting the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the governors of Arizona and New Mexico, along with ICE. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren expressed concern over the reports, which he said indicated distressing and sometimes traumatizing experiences for tribal members.
“My office has received multiple reports of negative experiences, with federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants in the Southwest,” Nygren said in a statement.
Claims of Innocent Individuals Targeted in Raids
Justin Ahasteen, the executive director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office, stated that his office has not confirmed any reports of ICE specifically targeting Navajo citizens. However, he noted that one tribal member was caught up in a raid in Phoenix. Ahasteen described the situation as a case of being in the “wrong place, wrong time,” as the tribal member, who presented their tribal identification, was not the intended target. The individual was later released.
The Navajo Nation has also reached out to New Mexico State Police, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, and Navajo Nation Police Department for clarification on the raids.
Allegations of ICE Questioning in Scottsdale, Arizona
Arizona State Senator Theresa Hatathlie, a Diné/Navajo representative, received reports from a Navajo woman whose workplace in Scottsdale, Arizona, was raided by ICE on Wednesday morning. The woman, along with seven other Indigenous individuals, was reportedly lined up and questioned for two hours without their cell phones, preventing them from contacting family members. The woman was later allowed to contact her family, who sent a photo of her Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), after which she was permitted to leave. It is unclear what happened to the other individuals involved in the raid.
Hatathlie, who represents Legislative District 6, which encompasses the Navajo Nation, expressed uncertainty about whether ICE was involved in the raid, stating that it is not standard practice for ICE to confirm such operations.
Fear and Frustration Among Indigenous Communities
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Curley highlighted the fear and frustration that many tribal members are feeling. She noted that Indigenous citizens are often stereotyped or profiled based on their appearance, despite being born on the land their ancestors have inhabited for generations.
“There’s a lot of fear, and they’re probably frustrated knowing they don’t feel safe in the country where they were born,” Curley said. “They’re being stereotyped because they have brown skin, and that leads to profiling.”
Hatathlie added that this situation exposes a painful double standard. Indigenous people once welcomed settlers who later colonized their lands, forced Native children into violent boarding schools, and suppressed their cultural practices. Now, these same law enforcement officials, whose ancestors were immigrants, are targeting Indigenous people through immigration raids.
“If you can’t say, ‘we’ve been here for time immemorial,’ then you’re an immigrant,” Hatathlie said. “These lands have been a melting pot for many ethnicities. It’s disrespectful for anyone to classify our Indigenous people as immigrants.”
Hatathlie concluded by stating that the actions targeting Indigenous citizens go beyond racism and discrimination, calling it a “disrespect for humanity.”
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