The Trump administration’s intensified deportation efforts have created unexpected challenges for Navajo citizens living in urban areas like Phoenix. As the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began widespread raids in major cities across the country following the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, concerns have surfaced about Native Americans being mistaken for undocumented immigrants.
On Friday, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren addressed these concerns during a broadcast on the tribal radio station KTNN. He reported receiving troubling accounts of Navajo citizens experiencing “negative and sometimes traumatizing encounters” with federal agents targeting undocumented individuals in the Southwest.
The Navajo Nation Office of Vital Records has been inundated with calls from tribal members residing off-reservation, many of whom report being questioned by ICE agents about their identity.
Arizona state Senator Theresa Hatathlie (Navajo), who represents Arizona’s sixth senate district, highlighted a specific incident where a Navajo citizen was detained for nine hours. She stressed the urgent need for emergency protocols to protect tribal members.