🚨 Indigenous Under Attack: A Call to Action Against Modern Colonization
In 2025, the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement targets not only newcomers but also Indigenous people, revealing deep-rooted violence in American politics.
Senator Theresa Hatathlie, herself Diné/Navajo, captured it perfectly: "If you can't say, 'we've been here for time immemorial,' then you're an immigrant."
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
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In 2025, immigration enforcement under the Trump administration 🚨⚖️ violently targets Indigenous peoples, effectively questioning their citizenship 🛑 and erasing their historical connection to the land 🌍. Reports indicate numerous detentions of Indigenous individuals 📊, with organizations like Operation Rainbow Bridge 🌈 stepping in to help 🤝.
The situation reflects a persistent cycle of displacement 🚷 and colonial violence 🏴☠️ that challenges the narratives of who truly belongs in these territories, driving Indigenous communities to resist ✊ and assert their rights collectively 🛡️.
🗝️ Takeaways
🛑 Immigration raids are impacting Indigenous people, not just recent immigrants.
📊 At least 15 Indigenous individuals have been detained in recent operations.
🗣️ Public figures, like Senator Theresa Hatathlie, emphasize Indigenous identity and belonging.
⚖️ The collaboration between immigration enforcement and law enforcement raises concerns about systemic racism.
✊ Community resistance includes documenting encounters and knowing your rights.
Borders, Bullets, and Broken Promises: Native Resistance in the Age of Trump's ICE Raids
This Land is Our Land
Let me be crystal clear: when we talk about immigration raids in 2025, we're talking about a violence so deeply rooted that its branches have become the very scaffolding of American politics.
Órale, let's break this down.
The Landscape of Violence
In late January 2025, the Trump administration escalated its immigration enforcement to a level that would make even the most hardened colonizer blush. But here's the kicker—these raids aren't just targeting recent immigrants. They're targeting Indigenous people.
Indigenous. People. Let that sink in for a moment.
Imagine this: You're a Navajo woman working in Scottsdale. You're going about your day, existing on the land your ancestors have nurtured for millennia. Suddenly, federal agents line you up behind white vans.
They demand proof of citizenship. Your citizenship. On land that was never theirs to begin with.
Madre mía, the audacity is breathtaking.
The Numbers Speak Volumes
According to recent reports, at least 15 Indigenous individuals in Arizona and New Mexico have been stopped, questioned, and detained since Wednesday.
The Navajo Nation Council has been flooded with reports of traumatizing encounters. Operation Rainbow Bridge—a nonprofit supporting Navajo citizens—has launched an Immigration Crisis Initiative just to help Indigenous people navigate these increasingly hostile terrains.
Historical Trauma, Contemporary Violence
This isn't new. This is a continuation of a centuries-long project of displacement, erasure, and settler colonial violence.
Pinche sistema, always finding new ways to terrorize those who were here first.
Senator Theresa Hatathlie, herself Diné/Navajo, captured it perfectly: "If you can't say, 'we've been here for time immemorial,' then you're an immigrant."
Boom. Truth dropped like a hammer.
The Intersectional Reality
Let's be clear—this isn't just about immigration. This is about:
Systemic racism
Settler colonial violence
The continued criminalization of brown bodies
The complete disregard for Indigenous sovereignty
The Drug Enforcement Agency in Los Angeles is now openly collaborating with immigration enforcement.
ICE reported 956 arrests in a single day. These aren't just numbers—these are families, communities, human beings.
A Personal Reflection
Y qué más? As an Indigenous Chicano activist living in the borderlands, I've watched this violence evolve. From the brutal displacement of my ancestors to these modern-day raids, the message remains the same: You do not belong here.
But here's the thing about resistance—it's in our blood. It's how we've survived. It's how we'll continue to survive.
Practical Resistance: What You Can Do
Document Everything: If immigration officials confront you or someone you know, document the interaction. Documenta todo, mi gente.
Know Your Rights:
You have the right to remain silent
You have the right to an attorney
You do not have to open your door without a warrant
Support Indigenous and Migrant Defense Organizations:
Donate
Volunteer
Amplify their voices
Educate Your Community:
Share these stories
Challenge the narrative of who "belongs"
Remind everyone that these lands have always been a sanctuary
The Diné Elders Speak
James Jackson, a respected Diné elder, said something that will forever be etched in my heart: "No one is illegal on stolen land."
Órale. Let that sink in.
A Call to Collective Action
This isn't just about surviving. This is about thriving. This is about remembering that our existence is resistance.
Estamos aquí. We are here.
Y no nos vamos.
We're not going anywhere.
¡PRESENTE!
Resistance is our inheritance. Liberation is our future.
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It’s targeting all indigenous people. Trump just got around to including the ones born here in the United States. Good article, but this latest move is confirmation that the division or rankings that exist in native communities exist in our heads. All the colonizer sees is brown. ALL OF US REPRESENT THE SAME LEVEL OF THREAT.
Here's an ugly update: https://truthout.org/articles/over-15-navajo-nation-members-swept-up-in-trump-immigration-raids/?utm_source=Truthout&utm_campaign=33ce1c53e0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_01_28_08_59&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbb541a1db-33ce1c53e0-653617832 .