11:19AM
IMMIGRATION
‘Thisisaboutpower’:IndigenousimmigrantsfaceasecondTrump administration
SouthDakotaGov KristiNoem,whowasbannedfromninetribalreservations,willoverseepolicies uniquelyimportanttoIndigenouspeople
AnnaV.Smith January21,2025
Editor’snote:OnJanuary25,KristiNoemwasconfirmedbytheSenatetoserveasTrump’ssecretaryofhomeland security
In2018,anIndigenouswomanidentifiedasCM andher5-year-oldsoncrossedtheUS-MexicobordernearSan Luis,Arizona,seekingasylum CM,aMayaMamnativetoGuatemala,toldtheborderagentswhoapprehendedher thatshewasfleeinglife-threateningviolence.Butinsteadofasylum,theU.S.government undersecretpolicies enactedbytheTrumpadministration forciblyseparatedthepair.C.M.wassenttotwodetentioncentersinArizona andthenNevadawhileherson,whospokeonlyMam,wastakentoafacilityinNewYork After76daysandthreatsof deportationtheywerereunited Traumatizedbytheexperience,CM andfourotherparentsaffectedbythepolicysued in2019andlastJulyreachedasettlementwiththeBidenadministration
Thefamilyseparationpolicyendedinsummer2018,butIndigenousimmigrants,asylumseekersandadvocatesare bracingforsimilarpoliciesduringDonaldTrump’ssecondadministration Trumphaspromisedtoendbirthright citizenship,restrictprotectionsforrefugeesandasylumseekersandcarryoutmassdeportations Indigenouspeople fromCentralandSouthAmericaareoftenforcedtoleavehomebecauseofpersecutionandconflictovertheirland, desiredbygovernmentsandcorporations WhentheyseekasylumattheUS-MexicoBorder,however,theyarecaught intheteethoftheUS immigrationsystem,whichdoesnotrecognizetheirdiverseidentities,languageneedsorunique rights “ThewaysinwhichtheTrumpadministrationtrulyimpactedIndigenouspeopleshasnotbeenadequately documentedorquantified,butwebelievethatitwasalarge-scalehumanrightsviolation,”saidJuanitaCabreraLopez, whoisMayaMamandexecutivedirectoroftheInternationalMayanLeague,aDC-basedIndigenous-lednonprofit
OnMonday,SouthDakotaGov KristiNoem Trump’s nomineetoleadtheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity passedherSenatehearingeasilyonabipartisanvote Noem,whohasarecordofdeeplyanti-immigrant rhetoric,wasbannedfromallninereservationsinSouth Dakotaaftersheclaimed withoutanyevidence thattribalnationswereworkingwithdrugcartels,which thetribesvehementlydenyThisantagonistic relationshipwithtribalnationscouldbeaharbingerof what’stocomewithheroversightofHomelandSecurity, whereshewillhavebroadauthoritytowaivefederal lawsmeanttoprotecttribalsites,andwherealackof adequatepolicies,interpretationandunderstandingof internationalIndigenousrightshasalreadybroughtharm andevendeathtoIndigenousimmigrantsandfamilies
KristiNoem,governorofSouthDakotaandsecretaryofHomeland SecuritynomineeforUSPresident-electDonaldTrump,duringaSenate HomelandSecurityandGovernmentalAffairsCommitteeconfirmation hearinginWashington,DC,US,onFriday,January17,2025 AlDrago/BloombergviaGettyImages
“WEHAVETOUNDERSTANDthatthisisaboutpower,”saidKaxhMura’l,whoisMayaIxil,inaninterviewin SpanishwithHighCountryNews Mura’lcametotheUS fleeingpersecutioninGuatemala,wherehewasactively involvedinprotectinghiscommunityfromaninternationalminingcompanypursuingbarite,amineralusedtoextract oilandgas Transnationalcorporations,hydropowercompaniesandtheGuatemalangovernmenthavecommitted humanrightsabusesagainstIndigenouscommunitiesthereinordertoacquiremorelandandresources “(Guatemala’s) systemofjusticeispersecutingthecommunityleaders,ispersecutingtheonesthataredefendingtheirterritories,” Mura’lsaid
In2019,Mura’lmadethearduousjourneyfromhisancestrallandsandrequestedasylumatabridgecrossing connectingJuarez,Mexico,toElPaso,Texas UndertheTrumpadministration’s“RemaininMexico”policy,however, hewasforcedtowaitfortwoyearsthereinunsafeconditionswhilehispetitionwasreviewed,spendingmuchofthe COVID-19pandemicincrowdeddetentionfacilities
Mura’l’sreasonsforimmigrating,whichechothoseofmanyotherIndigenouspeoplefromCentralandSouthAmerica, stemfromalonghistoryofUS politicalintervention TheUS helpedremoveGuatemala’sdemocraticallyelected presidentin1954,forexample,andbackedmilitaryleaderswhocommittedgenocideagainstIndigenousMayans “The reasonwhymanyofus(are)livingintheUnitedStatesisbecauseofthegenocidethatweexperiencedinGuatemala AndtheUS contributedtothatgenocideeconomically,logistically,andthatiswhatledtoourforcedremoval,”said Emil’Keme,whoisKi’che’MayaandaprofessorofEnglishandIndigenousstudiesatEmoryUniversity Indigenous peopleonbothsidesofthebordercanrelatetotheexperienceofdisplacementandthestruggleforlanguage preservationandculturalcontinuity:“We’refightingforourrighttoexist,bothintheNorthandtheSouth”
StorieslikeCM andMura’l’sdrawattentiontoanissuethatisdifficulttotrackowingtothelackoffederaldata;the US trackslanguageuseinitsimmigrationcourtsystembutdoesnotkeepdataonwhoidentifiesasIndigenous The numberofIndigenouslanguagespeakersislikelyanundercountbecauseofficialsassumethatCentralAmerican immigrantsuseSpanishastheirfirstlanguage (SomemayspeakSpanish,butasasecondorthirdlanguage) Data fromastudypublishedin2020showedthat,overafive-yearperiod,20%ofadultimmigrantsattheCasasAlitas shelterinTucson,Arizona,wereIndigenouslanguagespeakers,primarilyfromGuatemalaandMexico From2017to 2019,theshelterdocumented29uniqueIndigenouslanguages
KaxhMura’l(left)withhisimmigrationlawyerCarlosSpector,afterfleeingGuatemalaandtryingtogetasylumintheUnitedStates JuanHernándezfromthefilmBORDERLAND|TheLineWithin OrganizationsliketheInternationalMayanLeagueandNationalCongressofAmericanIndianssaythatthelackof adequateIndigenouslanguageservicesattheborderviolatesmultipleinternationallawsandstandards Theyhave urgedHomelandSecuritytocreateanIndigenouslanguageadvisorycommitteeandtoconsultwithIndigenouspeople includingtribalnationsintheBorderlands onborderissues NCAIcalledoutthefamilyseparationpolicyin 2018,statingthat“theUS hasahistoryofintentionalandunjustimprisonmentofIndigenousfamiliesandforced separationofIndigenouschildren,”andthatthepolicy“representshistoryrepeatingitself”
EFFORTSTOEXPANDlanguageaccessorIndigenousconsultationattheborderdidnotgaintractionunder PresidentJoeBidenandareunlikelytounderNoem,whohasarecordofnotconsultingtribalnationsinSouthDakota onpoliciesthataffectthem Duringthepandemic,shethreatenedtosuetribesthatclosedtheirreservationbordersto protecttheircommunities,somethingthatistheirrightassovereignnations Inthepasttwoyears,Noemhasrepeatedly accusedtribesandtribalmembersofdrugactivityandinvolvementwith“Mexicancartels”withouteverprovidingany evidence
WhenOglalaSiouxPresidentFrankStarComesOutbannedNoemfromthePineRidgeReservationlastyear,healso rejectedthenotionthatIndigenouspeoplewhoimmigratetotheUS arecriminals TheOglalaSioux,hesaid,“believe thatmanyofthepeoplecomingtotheSouthernborderoftheUnitedStatesinsearchofjobsandabetterlifeareIndian peoplefromsuchplacesasElSalvador,GuatemalaandMexicoanddon’tdeservetobedehumanizedandmistreated”
IfNoemisconfirmed,hertenureislikelytoimpacttribalcommunitiesthatarebisectedbytheUS-Mexicoborder, saidDanielleOxendineMolliver(Lumbee),acommunitydefenseattorneyatLegalRightsCenter,addingthatshefears Noemcouldbe“vengeful”TherearedozensoftribalnationsintheUS Borderlands,andmanyhaverelated communitiesacrosstheborder TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityhastheabilitytowaivefederallawsmeantto protecttribes’cultural,sacredandburialsites,whichisexactlywhatitdidtoexpeditebuildingtheborderwall duringTrump’spreviousterm Dozensoffederallawswerewaivedinborderstates,includingtheNativeAmerican GravesProtectionandRepatriationActandtheAmericanIndianReligiousFreedomAct TheBidenadministrationdid thesamein2023inTexas
Roberto(Bear)Guerra
LorenaE.Brady,policyandprogrammanagerwiththeInternationalMayanLeague,saidthatNoemwillalsomake asylumharderforimmigrantsandpursuedeportationsofwholefamilies “She’sjustaflat-outracist,”Bradysaid “We verymuchstandinsolidaritywithourNorthNativerelativeswhohavebanishedherfromtheirlandsandfromtheir nations”
Buttheseissuesgobeyondanysingleadministration,saidCabreraLopezoftheInternationalMayanLeague;manyof themarestructuralandglobal Anylastingchangewillrequiresustainedsolidarity “Regardlessofwhereweare,we haveinherentrightsasIndigenouspeoples,”CabreraLopezsaid “Whetherwe’reintheUnitedStates,whetherwe’re inGuatemala,(or)we’recrossingborders,wehavetherighttoexistasanIndigenousperson,andalltherightsthat stemfromthat”
HCNeditorialfellowNataliaMesaandCARULanguageServicescontributedSpanishtranslation,interpretationand factcheckingforthispiece
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ThisarticleappearedintheFebruary2025printeditionofthemagazinewiththeheadline‘Thisisaboutpower’