Updated Statement of Governor Stephen Roe Lewis on Enhanced Federal Immigration Enforcement

Jsanuary 30, 2026

PRESS RELEASE:

Gila River Indian Community

GILA RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION, Ariz. - The Community has received information and heard reports that tribal members in Arizona are being questioned and detained by federal immigration officials. So far, there has been one report that a Community member has been stopped by enhanced federal immigration enforcement in Chandler, AZ.

These stories of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and detentions are concerning and may have created distress, especially for Community members who may not have Tribal IDs, or who live in urban areas. Community Departments and the Gila River Police Department continue to monitor and investigate these concerns and any possible impact to Community members.

In addition to carefully monitoring developments, the Community proactively took steps to understand the potential for problems and contacted ICE directly to ensure that any enforcement efforts remain respectful of tribal members.

Governor Lewis and Community Council members met with DHS/ICE in September 2025. ICE heard the Community’s request to honor tribal IDs as proof of U.S. citizenship, and to coordinate with GRPD on any ICE related activities on Reservation.

The Office of General Counsel has developed a protocol to track U.S. Immigration stops and detentions of Community members and the Community Council approved a plan to amend the Enrollment Department’s Policies and Procedures to facilitate the availability of Tribal identification cards for minors.

We urge all members to remain calm in this time of uncertainty. As a reminder, please be careful, and if traveling, carry valid forms of identification such as a valid tribal enrollment card or Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), valid Arizona driver license, or a valid U.S. federal, state, or local government issued identification.

In the meantime, if you do observe any federal officials on Reservation seeking to enforce the federal immigration law, please report it immediately to OGC at (520) 562-9765.