January 22, 2026
Apache County Democrats Condemn ICE Detentions and Harassment of Native
Americans
The Apache County Democrats are deeply alarmed and outraged by ongoing reports of Native
American U.S. citizens being detained, questioned, and harassed by Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE).
It is the height of absurdity that Indigenous people, the first peoples of this land, are being
treated as “foreign” in their own homelands. Native communities should never have to prove
that they belong here.
Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized Tribal Nations, and Apache County is a place where
Native people are not a minority, they are the majority. Apache County has the highest
concentration of Native American residents in Arizona by percentage, with approximately 72%
of residents identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native.
That means what happens here is not abstract or “far away.” These detentions and harassment
tactics are impacting our families, elders, and youth close to home.
In Arizona and beyond, families are hearing reports that Native people are being targeted during
enforcement operations, including incidents where individuals have presented identification,
including Tribal documentation and Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB), only to be told it is “not
enough.” This is unacceptable.
Racial Profiling Has No Place in Arizona
Detaining people based on appearance, language, or assumptions about identity is racial
profiling. It violates civil rights, breaks trust, and retraumatizes communities that have already
endured generations of state violence, displacement, and discrimination. These actions harm
not only the individuals detained, but entire families and communities who are left living in fear.
ICE Cannot Be Reformed, It Must Be Abolished
The Apache County Democrats believe this pattern of misconduct is not an accident, it is the
predictable outcome of an agency that operates without sufficient accountability and repeatedly
inflicts harm. ICE cannot be reorganized or “reformed” into something humane. It must be
abolished, and immigration enforcement policy must be rebuilt around human rights,
constitutional protections, and due process.
ICE’s conduct in these incidents is a stain on the reputation of every law enforcement officer
who serves with integrity and respect for the public.
Our Call to Action
We call on local, state, and federal leaders to:
● Investigate every report of wrongful detention and harassment of Native Americans and
other U.S. citizens
● End racial profiling immediately in immigration enforcement practices
● Respect Tribal sovereignty and Tribal identification
● Support federal action to abolish ICE and replace it with a system grounded in civil rights
and due process
To our relatives and neighbors across Apache County: you are not alone. We will continue to
stand with our Indigenous communities and fight for safety, dignity, and justice.
Apache County Democrats