Peter Yazzie told ICE agents where they could locate his Certificate of Indian Blood, birth certificate and other documents proving that he was both a U.S. citizen and Native American. It made no difference. They aggressively placed him in the back of their vehicle and drove away early the morning of Monday, Jan. 12.
Yazzie was unaware that ICE was expanding operations throughout Phoenix and surrounding cities. Parked at a QT gas station between Peoria and Sun City near his job site, his morning began as usual, waking at 4 a.m. for his 5 a.m. shift. As he was getting ready, several SUVs pulled in, two with their lights on. He assumed it was a drug raid, never imagining it was ICE targeting him.
Wearing vests marked “POLICE,” Yazzie said, the officers were holding weapons that did not look like guns but resembled grenade launchers. He later learned from coworkers that the devices were likely used to deploy pepper spray or a similar chemical mist. Two men yelled at Yazzie, telling him to stand facing his vehicle and put his hands on it. Still in disbelief that it was for him, he thought the officers were trying to diffuse a situation or some other kind of tactic, so he complied…