Leech Lake member describes detainment during Bemidji ICE operation

Kieran Cuevas said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained him and his uncle during the June 12 operation in Bemidji, even after both tried to show tribal identification. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe member said the scene turned chaotic fast, with six vehicles arriving and agents with guns drawn as workers at the site tried to understand what was happening.

The operation centered on the Villas at Vista North townhome complex near Sanford Health-Bemidji hospital, where federal agents detained workers connected to a contractor on site. MPR News reported that more than 30 employees were taken into custody, while the exact number of detainees had not been confirmed publicly by June 12. Images from the area also showed ICE agents staged behind Paul Bunyan Mall and outside the Circle K gas station on Bemidji Avenue, underscoring how far the operation spread across Bemidji’s west side.

Local officials said city and county law enforcement were not part of the federal action. Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince said the Bemidji Police Department did not coordinate with or participate in ICE’s actions, and Beltrami County Sheriff Jason Riggs said his deputies were not involved. Riggs said ICE informed him on Tuesday, June 10, about plans to carry out detentions in the community. State Rep. Bidal Duran, who represents Bemidji, said the activity was "a precise, intelligence-driven effort rather than a broad sweep."

For Leech Lake citizens, the detention raised sharper questions about identification, jurisdiction and how quickly a workplace enforcement action can pull tribal members into it. Cuevas said he told agents he was an American citizen and a Leech Lake Band member while his uncle tried to show papers. The report says no Leech Lake member was ultimately taken from the scene, but the encounter left unanswered questions about who was detained, how agents chose their targets and whether tribal workers had any practical way to sort themselves out once the operation began.

The Leech Lake Band has already told members to keep proper identification with them, and tribal leaders have directed anyone who believes they were unlawfully detained to contact the Leech Lake Police Department. In January, Leech Lake Chairman Faron Jackson also advised members detained by ICE to call Tribal Council Administration at 218-335-8200. The tribal police say they patrol reservation communities and assist agencies including the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, a reminder that federal enforcement in Bemidji can quickly collide with local and tribal trust.