A celebrated Native American actress was detained by US immigration officers who dismissed her official tribal identification as "fake," sparking outrage over racial profiling and questions of identity in a nation grappling with its history.

This incident is not just about one person's ordeal; it exposes a troubling pattern where the very legitimacy of Indigenous sovereignty is questioned by federal agents. For Kenyans, it's a stark reminder of how crucial official identification is and how easily its authority can be undermined, echoing local debates around national identity documents.

Elaine Miles, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, was walking to a bus stop in Redmond, Washington, when she was stopped by four masked men in vests labelled "ICE". ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is the agency responsible for policing immigration within the United States.

When she presented her tribal ID—a document recognized by the US federal government—one agent reportedly declared, "Anyone can make that." The officers refused Miles's request to call the tribal enrollment office number printed on the card to verify its authenticity. After she called the office herself, the agents abruptly departed.

A Pattern of Disregard

This is not an isolated event. Miles alleges her son and uncle have faced similar detentions. Across the United States, Indigenous leaders have voiced alarm over their citizens being wrongly stopped and questioned by immigration authorities, who seem to have a limited understanding of tribal status. Native Americans born in the United States have been guaranteed US citizenship by federal law since 1924.

The core of the issue lies in the status of tribal identification. For a Kenyan reader, this can be understood as an official document, akin to a National ID, issued by a sovereign entity recognized by the central government.

• Federally Recognized: Tribal IDs issued by the 574 federally recognized tribes in the US are considered valid identification by federal agencies, including for air travel.
• Inconsistent Enforcement: Despite official policy, advocates note that inconsistent training among federal officers often leads to situations where these valid IDs are questioned or rejected.
• Racial Profiling Concerns: Indigenous rights attorneys and tribal leaders argue that such incidents are often rooted in racial profiling, where agents make judgments based on appearance rather than official documentation.

The Navajo Nation and other tribes have previously issued guidance to their members, advising them to carry multiple forms of ID due to reports of "negative, and sometimes traumatizing, experiences" with federal agents.

An Identity Affirmed

The confrontation has amplified calls for better training and clear directives for federal agents on recognizing tribal sovereignty. While US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not publicly commented on the incident involving Miles, the encounter serves as a powerful symbol of a much larger struggle.

In a statement that captures the deep-seated frustration, Miles told the Lakota People’s Law Project: “Tribal IDs—the government issued those damn cards to us like a pedigree dog! It’s not fake!” Her words underscore the profound offense of having one's identity questioned in the land of one's ancestors.