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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Northern Exposure actress Elaine Miles said she was stopped and detained by immigration agents who allegedly dismissed her tribal identification as “fake."
Miles, who is Native American, said in a now-deleted Facebook post that the incident occurred as she was walking to a bus stop near the Bear Creek Village shopping centre in Redmond, Washington, according to The Seattle Times.
“On November 3, ICE was conducting targeted immigration enforcement traffic stops and encountered Elaine Miles while investigating a vehicle registered to an illegal alien. She was never arrested. Any claim that ICE questioned her tribal ID are FALSE. ICE agents are trained to recognize tribal IDs and accept them as proof of status," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek.
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Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Miles for comment.
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Why It Matters
Immigration authorities have faced criticism over claims of racial profiling. Advocates have expressed concern that Native Americans may be wrongly targeted by immigration enforcement, amid the Trump administration’s efforts to carry out the Republicans' flagship mass deportation policy.
Native Americans who are enrolled members of federally recognized tribes are considered U.S. citizens under federal law. Their citizenship comes from the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and tribal sovereignty recognition. ICE can briefly detain and question individuals if they have reasonable suspicion, but Native Americans who are U.S. citizens cannot be lawfully deported.
What To Know
Four masked men wearing vests labelled “ICE,” who emerged from two unmarked black SUVs, demanded her ID, The Seattle Times reported*.*
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Miles said she presented a valid tribal ID issued by Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), based in Oregon, according to the outlet.
One of the agents allegedly told her the document was “fake,” while another reportedly remarked: “Anyone can make that," per the report.
When she pointed to an enrollment office phone number printed on the back of the card and asked them to call to verify, the agents refused. Miles then attempted to call herself, at which point the agents reportedly tried to seize her phone. Shortly after, a fifth agent called from one of the SUVs, and the group drove away.
Miles said agents did not provide names or badge numbers, according to The Seattle Times.
Miles claimed both her son and her uncle had previously been stopped by ICE agents who likewise questioned the validity of their tribal IDs, though they were later released, according to The Seattle Times.
The CTUIR is a federally recognized tribal government composed of three nations: the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla tribes. Its members include several thousand enrolled citizens, many of whom live on or near the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon and Washington.
What People Are Saying
Miles wrote in a deleted Facebook post: “F**K ICE…I got stopped & showed tribal ID and they said it looked fake. Told them call that number & it will be The Enrollment Office of my tribe. They kept saying ‘anyone can make those, it’s fake.’ I was so mad! I said, ‘Do I sound Mexican, f**k no.’ Then, I got my phone out, ‘I’ll f***in call the Tribe for you.’ They tried taking my phone! Son of a b***hes make me sick & angry! Racist BIGOTS and one of them was Mexican! Told him you’re a disgrace to your people, for all brown people. They suppose to be taking the ‘rapist, felon, robbers, drug n human traffickers’ not women waiting at bus stop. Watch your back in the Eastside of the Emerald City!”
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: “Allegations that DHS law enforcement officers engage in 'racial profiling' are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.—NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity. Under the fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution, DHS law enforcement uses 'reasonable suspicion' to make arrests. If and when we do encounter individuals subject to arrest, our law enforcement is trained to ask a series of well-determined questions to determine status and removability."
Update 11/28/25, 2:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Department of Homeland Security.
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