Navajo Nation member detained by ICE despite proof of citizenship

A member of the Navajo Nation was reportedly detained in Phoenix by an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer while heading to work.

“The reported detention of Peter Yazzie by ICE agents in the Phoenix area is deeply troubling and raises serious concerns about the treatment of Native Americans and U.S. citizens during federal enforcement operations,” Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a news release posted to Facebook on Saturday.

Yazzie, according to the news release, told ICE agents he was a U.S. citizen and showed the agents multiple official documents to prove his identity — including his birth certificate and Certificate of Indian Blood.

A Certificate of Indian Blood is an official U.S. document from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that proves a persons Native American lineage and what federally recognized tribe they are part of.

“Despite this, he was aggressively detained and removed from the scene,” Nygren said. “This should never happen — especially to a Native American on his way to work.”

The Navajo Nation did not respond to calls for comment. An ICE spokesperson did not respond to calls for comment.

On Monday, the New Mexico State Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter to New Mexico's federal delegation calling for immediate congressional oversight of the ICE "in response to mounting deaths in custody, fatal enforcement incidents, and systematic constitutional violations," according to a Monday news release.

The letter also mentioned concerns of wrongful detentions of Indigenous citizens, "including Navajo Nation and Oglala Sioux tribal members who were stopped or held despite presenting valid tribal identification and proof of citizenship," the letter states.

"Immigrants are central to New Mexico's economy, culture, communities and families," the letter states. "When these communities are harmed, all of New Mexico suffers—and our nation fails its promise of justice and due process."

Nygren said in the release that Navajo Nation Washington Office staff have reached out to Yazzie, the Department of Homeland Security and the Arizona congressional delegation to discuss the incident.

Nygren said that the Office of Vital records is underfunded due to a 638 contract — which allows Native American tribes to contract with the federal government to run their own federal programs and services. The office cannot issue tribal IDs, which are official photo identification cards issued by a federally recognized Native American tribe to its enrolled members.

He added that he would host tribal ID drives in Albuquerque, Denver and Phoenix to ensure everyone has any documentation they may need, “especially for those living off the Navajo Nation.”

“Our Diné people should not have to live in fear of being stopped, questioned or detained simply because of who they are or how they look,” Nygren said. “Native Americans are not immigrants in our own homelands. We are citizens of the United States and citizens of our sovereign tribal nations, and our rights must be respected.”

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.