**Oglala Sioux Tribe President Demands Immediate Release of Detained Tribal Members**

*By Graham Lee Brewer*

The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has called for the immediate release of tribal members detained last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota.

Three of the four Oglala Sioux Tribe members who were arrested in Minneapolis on Friday have since been transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling, President Frank Star Comes Out confirmed in a statement issued alongside a memorandum sent to federal immigration authorities.

In the memorandum, Star Comes Out emphasized that “tribal citizens are not aliens” and are “categorically outside immigration jurisdiction.” He underlined that enrolled tribal members are citizens of the United States by law and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty.

Details surrounding the circumstances that led to their detention remain unclear. According to Star Comes Out, when the tribal nation requested information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they were only provided with the first names of the detained men. DHS has refused to release further details unless the tribe “entered into an immigration agreement with ICE.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday evening.

Star Comes Out stated that the tribe has no intention of entering into any agreement with ICE.

In a post on his Facebook page, Star Comes Out revealed that the four detained tribal members were experiencing homelessness and were living under a bridge in Minneapolis. One of the members has since been released from detention.

In his press release, President Star Comes Out demanded detailed information on the status of the three men still in detention, the immediate release of all tribal citizens held in ICE custody, and a meeting between the tribe and the federal government to address these concerns.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/01/13/immigration-enforcement-tribal-members/