Reports of Native American citizens being stopped by federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota are rippling across tribal communities in Wisconsin, including the Ho-Chunk Nation.

     In an interview on WPR’s Wisconsin Today, Ho-Chunk Nation President Jon Greendeer said the stories are “disheartening” and called it “ironic” that Indigenous people are being questioned about their citizenship on their own homelands.

     Greendeer said what he’s hearing from Ho-Chunk tribal members isn’t mild worry, it’s fear.

     “They’re not concerned, they’re scared,” Greendeer told WPR. “When someone lives like this, they’re not going to be living their best life. This is not a safe America the way ICE has presented themselves.”

     Greendeer emphasized that many Native people carry what he described as “triple citizenship”, as U.S. citizens, state residents, and citizens of their tribal nation. His advice to tribal members traveling into areas with active enforcement is practical is to carry legal identification, stay calm, and know your rights.

     “We don’t have to justify who we are to any further extent than what our legal IDs would provide,” Greendeer said.

     Asked why Native citizens might be swept into immigration enforcement at all, Greendeer said profiling and a lack of understanding about tribal nations are part of the problem. In his view, Indigenous people can match the “phenotype” agents believe they’re looking for, and some officers may not understand tribal identity or documentation.

     Greendeer said he has not seen federal agencies reaching out to tribal leadership to prevent wrongful stops. He also voiced strong opposition to cooperation with ICE, describing what he sees as an ideological agenda rather than a narrowly targeted immigration effort.

     He also pointed to concerns with local law enforcement partnerships that can expand immigration enforcement.

     In Wisconsin, some departments have entered into 287(g) agreements that authorize local officers to assist with immigration enforcement, and Greendeer said tribal governments weren’t consulted before some counties signed on.

     Looking ahead, Greendeer said tribal leaders need a clearer, united demand for how the federal government engages with tribes and tribal citizens. He also argued state and local governments have authority and responsibility to protect residents’ safety and rights, and he urged Wisconsin leaders to prepare for how federal enforcement could show up in communities.

     “The Indigenous peoples across the United States and South America have seen this very thing happen before,” Greendeer said. “We know exactly how this ends, and it doesn't end well for the perpetrators who are infringing on the rights of American citizens.”