Quick summary
• At least 15 Navajo Nation members were detained and questioned during immigration raids in Arizona and New Mexico, despite being U.S. citizens.
• Federal agents allegedly refused to recognize tribal identification as proof of citizenship, prompting Navajo leaders to urge members to carry state-issued IDs at all times.
• Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren described the raids as “traumatizing”, while Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley said many felt racially profiled and unsafe in their own country.
• Diné elder and activist James Jackson condemned the detentions, stating “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
• The raids are part of Trump’s expanded immigration enforcement policies, which have also led to ICE conducting raids in churches, hospitals, and schools.
• Quaker congregations sued the Trump administration, arguing that ICE raids on houses of worship violate First Amendment religious freedoms.
• Navajo leaders are calling for federal recognition of tribal IDs, an investigation into racial profiling, and stronger protections to prevent further wrongful detentions of Indigenous citizens.
At least 15 Navajo Nation members have been detained and questioned in recent immigration raids across Arizona and New Mexico, raising concerns over racial profiling and violations of Indigenous rights. Despite being U.S. citizens by birth, Diné individuals have been subjected to federal immigration enforcement actions, prompting calls for accountability and systemic change.
The Navajo Nation government has issued a warning advising Diné people to carry state-issued identification, such as driver’s licenses or a Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB), to avoid wrongful detainment.
“Navajo people have experienced negative and sometimes traumatizing experiences with federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants in the Southwest,” said Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren in a statement.
It remains unclear which federal agency or agencies carried out the raids. Reports indicate that federal agents detained and questioned individuals in their homes and workplaces, demanding proof of citizenship before releasing them.
Since last Wednesday, at least 15 Navajo Nation members have been detained and questioned by federal immigration agents. Many were taken from their homes, workplaces, or public spaces, despite their legal status as U.S. citizens. In one incident in Phoenix, Arizona, a Navajo individual was detained in a “wrong place, wrong time” scenario before being released after presenting tribal identification.
Tribal officials have expressed growing concerns over the refusal of federal agents to recognize tribal identification as proof of citizenship. Arizona State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie noted that multiple reports indicate agents did not acknowledge tribal enrollment cards or Certificates of Indian Blood (CIBs) as valid documents. She has urged tribal governments to proactively communicate with Homeland Security to ensure enforcement agents are familiar with these identification forms.
“Tribes should communicate to Homeland Security and say, ‘This is a sample of our travel enrollment card. This is the sample of our Certificate of Indian Blood. If you have any questions to verify, here is a hotline. Here is a website.’”
The wrongful detention of Navajo citizens has sparked fear throughout the community, as many worry they will continue to be targeted. Some Diné individuals have reported feeling racially profiled and discriminated against, despite their legal status.
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley described the emotional toll of these raids:
“There’s a lot of fear, and I know they’re probably feeling frustrated knowing that they don’t feel safe in the country where they were born or where their ancestors come from and there’s a lot of frustration of them being stereotyped.”
The raids have further highlighted a legacy of government overreach on Indigenous lands, reinforcing long-standing mistrust of federal authorities. Diné elder and activist James Jackson denounced the raids, stating:
“No one is illegal on stolen land.”
“It really goes back to the Indigenous way of life, that everything is made for the people. People have to understand that this is not the way to live or to be honorable and neighborly with each other.”
These detentions are part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration enforcement, which has led to aggressive ICE raids across the country. The lack of distinction between U.S. citizens and undocumented immigrants in these raids underscores the dangers of racial profiling in federal enforcement actions.
As immigration raids increase, several Quaker congregations have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a new policy allowing ICE agents to raid houses of worship, hospitals, and schools. The lawsuit, filed in Maryland federal court, argues that the policy violates First Amendment religious freedoms by discouraging congregants—particularly those from immigrant communities—from attending services.
The legal complaint states:
”[The policy change] does not acknowledge that houses of worship are sacred spaces… Instead, it treats houses of worship as nothing more than places where ‘criminal aliens — including murderers and rapists’ go to ‘hide.’”
Immigration rights organizations warn that Trump’s mass deportation agenda disproportionately impacts Indigenous, Latino, and Black communities, leading to wrongful detentions of U.S. citizens.
In response to the wrongful detentions, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has urged all Diné people to carry additional forms of state-issued identification at all times. Tribal leaders are also pushing for Homeland Security to officially recognize tribal enrollment cards and Certificates of Indian Blood as valid proof of citizenship to prevent further wrongful detentions.
Indigenous leaders and civil rights advocates are calling for:
• A federal investigation into the racial profiling of Native Americans during immigration raids.
• Policy reforms to protect U.S. citizens from wrongful detainment and ensure federal agents are trained to recognize tribal identification documents.
• Stronger oversight to prevent overreach by federal immigration authorities near Indigenous lands.
As legal challenges mount—including the Quaker lawsuit against ICE raids in churches—Indigenous leaders and advocacy groups continue to demand real oversight and systemic reforms to prevent further racial profiling and wrongful detentions. The fight for Indigenous rights and protections is far from over.
Follow Navajo Division for Children and Family Services for services and assistance.
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