Native American Woman Reportedly Questioned By ICE In Arizona As Tribes Warn Members About Racial Profiling

A group of Native Americans were allegedly lined up for questioning during an ICE raid in Arizona, stoking fears that members of this group are being profiled as the Trump administration ramps up its immigration crackdown.

The episode in question took place on January 22, according to state Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, who detailed the account given to her by a member of the Navajo Nation. She said that during the raid at her niece's workplace in Scottsdale 14 people were lined up for questioning, and she believed eight of them were Native American.

One of the women managed to text her aunt before her phone was taken away. After then she kept saying "I'm Navajo," according to Hatathlie. She didn't have any tribal documentation on her but her mother was told about the incident and she sent her daughter a picture of her Certificate of Indian Blood. She was eventually released but had a panic attack after.

State Sen. Hatathlie said she has heard similar stories across the state, and that's why she's recommending Native Americans to carry a copy of their Certificate of Indian Blood with them. She then claimed the incidents have to do with racial profiling, because she doesn't hear similar stories from other ethnic groups.

"And if you look at all of the pictures or the stories, they all involve people who have brown skin." Officials from the Navajo Nation told CNN last week that at least 15 Indigenous people in the southwest U.S. have reported being questioned or detained by immigration officers.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren confirmed in a statement that his office has received multiple reports of "negative, and sometimes traumatizing, experiences with federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants."

Nygren went on to say that "it's best to be prepared, and we are advising Navajo citizensto carry state-issued identification, such as a driver's license or other picture identification if available. Having your state ID is crucial, and if you possess a CIB (Certificate of Indian Blood), it can provide an additional layer of reassurance"

The Mescalero Apache Tribe in New Mexico also announced through a statement that a member was confronted by ICE agents in late January and was asked for ID — first in Spanish, although the member spoke English.

However, not even Certificates of Indian Blood (CIBs) or state-issued IDs seem to be deterring agents. "Despite possessing Certificates of Indian Blood (CIBs) and state-issued IDs, several individuals have been detained or questioned by ICE agents who do not recognize these documents as valid proof of citizenship," said Crystalyne Curley, speaker of the Navajo Nation Council in a statement reported by Axios.

ICE, in turn, said that "should the extremely rare occasion arise where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement might need to work with tribal partners on an immigration-related case, ICE will attempt to consult and deconflict with the FBI, Department of Justice Board of Immigration Appeals and tribal leaders as a plan is developed and prior to any targeted law enforcement actions."