DES MOINES, Iowa — A Native American woman has been released from custody after a clerical mistake led to her being flagged as an undocumented immigrant by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office has an agreement with federal authorities allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to flag inmates who they believe are undocumented immigrants. In early November, the sheriff’s office received a detainer request from ICE to flag an inmate with the same name as this Indigenous woman, who had been in jail on unrelated charges.
Those close to tribal communities, like Sikowis Nobiss, a citizen of George Gordon First Nation, say these mistakes are not new…