Navajo Nation Council urges DHS and ICE to recognize tribal IDs

The 25th Navajo Nation Council voted 19-0 to pass Legislation No. 0022-26, a measure that calls on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to formally recognize Navajo Nation–issued identification and to respect the political status of Navajo citizens. Speaker Crystalyne Curley sponsored the emergency legislation and framed the vote as a sovereign response to recent enforcement activity that tribal leaders say has unsettled communities.

The resolution directs DHS to provide specialized, mandatory training for ICE agents so they will recognize tribal identification documents and understand Navajo citizenship as a political status. It also orders the Navajo Nation Office of Vital Records and Identification to expand direct vital records services for Navajo citizens living on and off the Nation. Delegate Cherilyn Yazzie successfully amended the measure to require full implementation of the Enhanced Tribal Identification program and pledged to introduce funding legislation if additional resources are needed. “We need to secure resources to ensure these identification cards are issued to our people in a timely manner,” Yazzie said in the Navajo Nation press release announcing the vote.

Tribal leaders cited specific incidents and broader reporting of intensified operations that prompted the measure. KNAU identified a Navajo citizen, Peter Yazzie, who was detained by federal agents for four hours near Peoria last month; KNAU reported ICE did not respond to requests for comment about the detainment. Speaker Curley told KNAU, “We are the first people of this country, long before established governments, long before established borders or walls. You know, our identity and citizenship should not be questioned or challenged.” In the press release, Curley added, “This Council is taking a firm stand for our people. Navajo citizenship must never be questioned, undermined, or misclassified by any federal agency.”

The legislation builds on earlier arrangements and recent investments. Navajo officials point to a 2021 memorandum of agreement with DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection that established standards for issuing Enhanced Tribal Cards recognized by federal law enforcement. Council leadership also noted the council approved a contract last year providing more than $1 million in federal funding to support the Office of Vital Records. KNAU reported the office was briefly unable to issue new tribal IDs amid a funding disruption last month but is again accepting appointments.

Local implications for Apache County residents include increased emphasis on carrying valid identification while traveling off the Nation, especially in urban areas where Navajo citizens reside or work. The Council urged citizens to carry a Navajo Nation ID card or a Real ID and established a hotline at 855-435-7672 for those who need assistance or have questions about ICE encounters, vital records, or related concerns. The Office of the Speaker has contacted the Arizona Governor’s Office about the reported Peoria detainment as part of broader outreach to federal and state officials, legal counsel, and other tribes.

Implementation will hinge on follow-through from the Office of Vital Records and any forthcoming federal response to the training and recognition requests. For now, Council leaders say they will monitor developments, push for resources to issue Enhanced Tribal IDs, and keep citizens informed as the measures move from resolution into operational steps.