As tribes fear ICE, Rep. Adelita Grijalva says ‘removing Noem doesn’t root out the lawlessness’

A second budget for the Department of Homeland Security narrowly passed the U.S. House last week — months after the lower chamber had already approved one back in January. The final vote was 221-209 — with four Democrats crossing the aisle to join Republicans.

Once more, Senate Democrats blocked this latest spending bill on Thursday. Any funding proposal is unlikely to pass the upper chamber until new guardrails are added to rein in the agency, especially after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Indian Country is also a part of that conversation.

That’s why Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva sought to create a safeguard for tribes getting caught up amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

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She has been regularly meeting with tribal leaders from southern Arizona — the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation and Gila River Indian Community — and they’re all sharing the same thing, telling KJZZ: “‘DHS must consult with tribes. They’re not doing it now. This administration doesn’t honor sovereignty.’”

“They’re all concerned with the presence of ICE,” added Grijalva, “and how they are profiling their members because, you know, they might look like working people who have darker skin.”

That feedback prompted Grijalva to draft an amendment that would’ve barred ICE from conducting immigration enforcement on tribal lands “unless prior consultation ... has occurred.”

But her effort to attach that requirement to the House funding bill failed. And when asked whether Senate colleagues could adopt her measure, Grijavla replied: “I’m not optimistic.”

U.S. House

Consultation doesn’t mean consent.

As for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, it defines consultation as “a formal, two-way, government-to-government dialogue” between tribal and federal officials to discuss proposals and gather input before an agency takes action.

Meanwhile, Kristi Noem has been ousted by President Trump as DHS secretary. She’ll now serve as special envoy for his so-called “Shield of the Americas” — a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere. Trump named Oklahoma Republican U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who is Cherokee, as her replacement.

“No one’s going to miss Secretary Noem,” said Grijalva. “Removing Noem doesn’t root out the lawlessness at ICE. Maybe leadership style might be different, but the end goal is still the same.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Mullin would be the first Native man to ever serve as a Cabinet member. During the Biden administration, Deb Haaland — who was born in Arizona and is from the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico — became the first Native woman to do so while running the Interior Department.