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ICE Targeting Indigenous Canadians Traveling to the US.
4-22-2026
For many Canadians who believed they were safe from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), recent events may serve as a wake-up call. In recent months, we have seen alarming examples of ICE’s aggressive tactics under the Trump administration, from detaining young children to targeting protesters. Now, the agency has turned its attention to one of the most vulnerable groups in Canadian society: Indigenous peoples traveling to the US for personal or business reasons.
A local media outlet recently reported incidents involving members of the Blood Tribe First Nation, located in southern Alberta near Lethbridge, who have been stopped and detained while traveling to and within the US.
In a statement to the press, Abram Benedict, the tribe’s Ontario Regional Chief, said, “These are targeting aspects. They are essentially targeting people of a minority. We definitely don’t want any First Nation member in the United States getting put into detention centers.”
Incidents of First Nations members being stopped by ICE have led elders of the Blood Tribe to caution band members against crossing the US border, despite their legal right to do so under the centuries-old Jay Treaty.
Understanding the Jay Treaty: According to the Blood Tribe First Nation’s website, the Jay Treaty is an agreement signed between Great Britain and the US in 1794. This treaty has granted band members free access to their ancestral lands, allowing them to move back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border without issue for hundreds of years.
Disrespect for an Old Treaty: However, the Blood Tribe claims that American authorities are not honoring the treaty “during this period of unrest.”
Free Passage: The Government of Canada’s website explains that the Jay Treaty “includes a provision for free passage by First Nations Peoples and their personal goods across what is now the Canada-U.S. border.”
Blood Tribe’s Warning: The Blood Tribe First Nation issued a warning on its website stating, “It has come to our attention that individuals have been stopped and even detained by U.S. agents, including those who identify themselves as ICE agents.”
Status Cards Ignored by ICE: In a January 28 advisory, the tribe’s leaders noted, “Both the Assembly of First Nations and Indigenous Services Canada have reported that status cards have not been respected.”
The advisory continued, “At the very least, a Blood Tribe member should ensure they have a copy of their birth certificate or other evidence that they were born in Canada, as well as proof of their percentage of ‘American Indian Blood.’”
The tribe expressed its frustration over the issues caused by American authorities, stating, “The Blood Tribe joins with other First Nations in protesting the disregard and lack of respect being shown for the Jay Treaty. However, we urge Blood Tribe members not to rely solely on the belief that we have the right to cross the American border freely.”
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), stated that these actions violate Indigenous rights and breach the Jay Treaty, which guarantees free Passage for First Nations peoples across the border.
The advisory issued by Alberta’s Blood Tribe and the AFN is just one of many warnings directed at members of Canada’s First Nations. Similar advisories have been issued by the Kashechewan First Nation, which recently evacuated residents to Niagara Falls, Ontario, directing them to remain on the Canadian side of the border due to the current political climate.
Carry Documentation and Avoid Unnecessary Travel to the US: Additionally, the Mississauga First Nation, Six Nations of the Grand River, Garden River First Nation, and Saint Regis Mohawk Indian Territory have also emphasized the importance of carrying proper identification and urged their members to avoid unnecessary travel into the United States during these challenging times.
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