Drawing strength from family legacy in the fight against discrimination, Miles calls for unity
REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — On Nov. 3, actress Elaine Miles was walking from a bank when she encountered US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near a bus stop. What happened next changed how she viewed the world around her and opened her eyes to what she says Indigenous people are facing at the hands of ICE.
Miles is a full-blood member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon and now lives in Redmond, Washington. She is known for her roles in “Northern Exposure,” “Smoke Signals,” and the series “The Last of Us.” Before acting, she described herself as a “powwow bum” who danced at powwows.
Miles told Char-Koosta News she was approached by ICE agents who questioned her and demanded identification. When she presented her tribal-issued photo ID, a federally recognized and REAL ID-compliant document accepted for air travel in Washington, the agents rejected it. They said it looked fake or could have been “made.” She said the agents wore masks that covered half their faces and badges that were not visible at first glance.
Although President Joe Biden’s 2022 Executive Order 14074 directed ICE to implement the use of body cameras to enhance public trust and accountability, Miles said the agents who confronted her were not wearing cameras and refused to identify themselves…