Native American Actress Detained by ICE Officers Over Tribal ID, Says She Was Told ID 'Looked Fake'
A Native American actress known for her roles in Northern Exposure and The Last of Us has come forward with a harrowing account of being detained by four masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Seattle. According to the actress, Elaine Miles, the officers stopped her while she was walking to a bus stop in Redmond and refused to accept her tribal identification card from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon.
The ICE agents allegedly told Miles that her ID "looked fake" and instructed her to call the tribal enrollment office number on the card. However, when she called the office, one officer tried to take her phone but failed. The officers then released her and drove away in their vehicles.
Miles' account is not an isolated incident. She claims that her son and uncle have also been detained by ICE officers who refused to accept their tribal identification cards. Her experience echoes those of other Native Americans who have been swept up in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, including a woman born in Phoenix who was mistakenly detained after being released from jail.
Native American rights attorney Gabriel Galanda described Miles' encounter as an example of racial profiling, stating that people are being pulled over or detained on the street because of their dark skin. He also criticized the agents' refusal to accept her ID, which he attributed to a lack of knowledge about tribal citizenship among government officials and society at large.
The incident has left Miles feeling afraid to leave her house alone or at night. Galanda's comments are reminiscent of the country's troubled history with Indigenous peoples, who have long faced systemic racism and marginalization. "It's also deeply troubling that in 2025, the first people of this country have to essentially look over their shoulders," she added.
As concerns about immigration enforcement continue to grow, some Native American communities have taken steps to protect themselves from federal actions. The Navajo Nation has announced plans to safeguard its community, following reports that Indigenous Americans have been targeted in US deportation raids.
Miles' experience highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding of tribal citizenship and cultural identity. As Galanda noted, ignorance about these issues can lead to discriminatory practices like those faced by Miles and others.
A Native American actress known for her roles in Northern Exposure and The Last of Us has come forward with a harrowing account of being detained by four masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Seattle. According to the actress, Elaine Miles, the officers stopped her while she was walking to a bus stop in Redmond and refused to accept her tribal identification card from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon.
The ICE agents allegedly told Miles that her ID "looked fake" and instructed her to call the tribal enrollment office number on the card. However, when she called the office, one officer tried to take her phone but failed. The officers then released her and drove away in their vehicles.
Miles' account is not an isolated incident. She claims that her son and uncle have also been detained by ICE officers who refused to accept their tribal identification cards. Her experience echoes those of other Native Americans who have been swept up in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, including a woman born in Phoenix who was mistakenly detained after being released from jail.
Native American rights attorney Gabriel Galanda described Miles' encounter as an example of racial profiling, stating that people are being pulled over or detained on the street because of their dark skin. He also criticized the agents' refusal to accept her ID, which he attributed to a lack of knowledge about tribal citizenship among government officials and society at large.
The incident has left Miles feeling afraid to leave her house alone or at night. Galanda's comments are reminiscent of the country's troubled history with Indigenous peoples, who have long faced systemic racism and marginalization. "It's also deeply troubling that in 2025, the first people of this country have to essentially look over their shoulders," she added.
As concerns about immigration enforcement continue to grow, some Native American communities have taken steps to protect themselves from federal actions. The Navajo Nation has announced plans to safeguard its community, following reports that Indigenous Americans have been targeted in US deportation raids.
Miles' experience highlights the need for greater awareness and understanding of tribal citizenship and cultural identity. As Galanda noted, ignorance about these issues can lead to discriminatory practices like those faced by Miles and others.
by this story!!! It's just NOT OKAY that an actress is being treated like a CRIME VICTIM because of her ID! I mean, come on, ICE agents are supposed to be about ENFORCING THE LAW, not making assumptions based on someone's skin color or tribal affiliation. And it's not just this one person - there have been tons of other Native Americans who've had similar experiences. It's like they're being profiled and targeted just because they're Indigenous. We need to raise awareness about these issues and educate our officials and society at large so this kind of thing doesn't happen anymore! 
. In 2024, there were over 1.5M encounters with immigration authorities at US borders. That's a 25% increase from 2023 
. Native American communities are being disproportionately targeted, with the Navajo Nation reporting 40% of reported detention cases in 2022 
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. It's a stark reminder that our system is broken 
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. Until then, communities will continue to suffer the consequences 
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It's so sad that Elaine Miles had to go through this, I mean she was just trying to get to a bus stop and these ICE agents are like "nope, you're not who you say you are". And yeah, it's super suspicious that her ID looked "fake" to them... idk what kind of training they've got but that doesn't sound right 
. The Navajo Nation taking steps to protect themselves? That's like, totally necessary tbh 
she was even told to call the tribal enrollment office number on her card 
but they took her phone away too 
like, how can u not know about tribal citizenship? it's basic knowledge 
like what a tribal ID card even is 
. I mean, come on, it's not that hard 
. And what really gets me is the fact that Elaine Miles is afraid to leave her house alone now 
. That's just not right 
. We need more awareness and education about Native American rights and culture 
. It's 2025 and we should be way beyond this kind of profiling 
ICE is doing its job? No way, they're just profiling and targeting Native Americans because of their skin color. It's not even a good excuse that the ID "looked fake" - if it did, why didn't they ask to see the actual ID instead of making assumptions? And what's with this ignorance about tribal citizenship?! We need to educate ourselves and our government officials about these issues ASAP! 
we need to educate our gov officials about tribal citizenship and cultural identity so they don't keep messing up like this 
I mean, come on, don't they know that tribal IDs are legit? This whole thing is so messed up. Racial profiling is real life and it's just not right. And can we talk about how scary this must be for the actress and her family? Like, they're literally being targeted because of their skin color. It's like something out of a movie or something. 
This is so crazy! ICE agents detaining Native American actress Elaine Miles over her tribal ID card? 
We need to do better than just sweeping people under the rug or treating them like they're not even human. 
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. It's not okay that people are getting detained over tribal ID, it's like, hello! You're literally showing your ID and proving you belong 
. The fact that these ICE agents didn't even know what the card looked like or who issued it is just a cop-out 
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. I'm glad the Navajo Nation is taking steps to safeguard their community, that gives me hope for a better future 
. His words are so powerful and it's about time we start listening 
. Let's keep spreading awareness and making our voices heard 
!
. it's 2025 and we still have people being targeted just because of their skin color or where they're from? 
this is so messed up. I feel like miles has every right to be afraid to leave her house alone now 
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my heart goes out to Elaine Miles and all the other Native Americans who are going through this. it's not okay to make them feel afraid to leave their homes because of their identity. we need to do better as a society, especially in 2025 when we should know better