The Brief
- ICE agents arrested three non-tribal members during a Saturday morning traffic stop outside the Akimel Smoke Shop on the Gila River reservation.
- Gila River Police officers were called to the scene, but tribal officials confirmed local law enforcement was not involved in the traffic stop or arrests.
- Calling the federal operation an encroachment on community sovereignty, tribal leaders urged residents to record any future encounters with federal agents.
SUN LAKES, Ariz. – Federal immigration agents arrested three men during a traffic stop on the Gila River Indian Community reservation Saturday morning, prompting tribal leaders to issue a public safety advisory and raise concerns over their sovereignty.
What we know:
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehension took place at the Akimel Smoke Shop on Riggs Road near Interstate 10. Gila River tribal officials confirmed the three men taken into custody were neither residents nor members of the indigenous community. Local Gila River Police Department officers were called to the scene, but were ultimately not involved in the traffic stop or subsequent arrests.…