U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained indigenous actress Elaine Miles in Redmond, Washington, while she was heading to the bus stop for a shopping run. The agents then accused her of faking her tribal ID, according to a report by The Seattle Times on Thursday.
Miles, an Indigenous actor best known for her roles in *Northern Exposure*, *Smoke Signals*, *Wyvern*, and *The Last of Us*, presented her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. Federal government agencies recognize tribal IDs as valid forms of identification. In fact, Miles has used her tribal ID to travel back and forth to Canada and Mexico without any issues.
However, the ICE agents—who were wearing vests and masks and driving in a pair of black SUVs without front license plates—refused to accept her tribal ID. They claimed it was “fake” and stated that “anyone can make that.”
Miles also revealed that her son and uncle have experienced similar issues. They were temporarily detained by ICE agents who likewise refused to acknowledge their tribal IDs as legitimate.
“What we’re talking about here is racial profiling,” said Gabriel Galanda, a tribal rights attorney. “People are getting pulled over or detained on the street because of the dark color of their skin.” (Galanda is not representing Miles.)
This incident comes at a time when the Trump administration’s policies regarding ICE and Border Patrol arrests are facing increasing public scrutiny. It also follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that has made racial profiling by immigration officers far easier.
https://www.rawstory.com/ice-arrest-2674352296/
