Know Your Rights Resources Available for Tribal Citizens

Know Your Rights if Approached by ICE

Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) is aware of the anxiety that the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity had brought to our Citizens this past year. We stand with the people of Minneapolis, and the Tribal Nations in Minnesota, that are presently dealing with the ICE occupation.
STA is a sovereign Tribal nation, and as such, the Federal Government, including the Department of Homeland Security, has a legal obligation to consult with us on all relevant matters within our traditional territory. We are here to protect the rights of our Tribal Citizens, both as citizens of our Nation and of the United States.
Here are resources that our Tribal Citizens can use to better understand their rights if they encounter ICE in Sitka or elsewhere in the United States. The resources below include a printable pocket guide from the National Immigration Law Center and a larger, more detailed flyer of rights created by the Native American Rights Fund. Further resources, including
webinars and printable materials can be found at https://narf.org/webinar-know-your-rights/.
If you are a Tribal Citizen and you are arrested or detained by ICE, tell ICE officials that you are a U.S. Citizen and present your state-issued or Tribal ID. Tribal ID is proof of U.S. Citizenship. As such, STA encourages all Citizens to carry an up-to-date Tribal ID with them at all times. To update your contact information and Tribal ID Card, visit https://sitkatribeofalaska.formstack.com/forms/sitkatribeofalaska_update or email enrollment@sitkatribe-nsn.gov. Tribal ID Cards can be obtained by visiting Tribal Headquarters at 204 Siginaka Way during regular business hours or by mail.
If you are arrested and detained by ICE and ICE does not accept your Tribal ID as proof of U.S. Citizenship, contact STA’s attorneys at 907-747-7163.

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Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) is a federally recognized tribal government under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act that serves more than 4,800 citizens of Tlingit, Haida, Aleut, Tsimshian, and other Tribal heritage. STA operates within the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.