A 24-year-old Native American woman from Phoenix was nearly deported after being swept up in President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown. Leticia Jacobo, a member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was mistakenly issued an ICE detainer despite being a U.S. citizen. Her family says racial profiling played a role.
Arrest Leads to Wrongful ICE Hold
Jacobo had been arrested in September for allegedly driving with a suspended license and was scheduled for release on Nov. 11. But hours before she was set to go home, her mother was told she would instead be transferred to federal custody for possible deportation. The family was unaware an ICE detainer had been placed on her more than a week earlier.
Her aunt, Maria Nunez, said they were stunned to hear that deportation was imminent. “How is she going to get deported if she’s a Native American?” she recalled asking jail staff.
Family Intervenes Overnight
Jacobo’s mother rushed her birth certificate to the jail and stayed overnight to ensure her daughter wasn’t removed. Jacobo was released in the early hours of Nov. 12 once staff acknowledged the error.
Sheriff’s Office Calls It ‘Human Error’
Lt. Mark Chance of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the detainer was intended for someone else and described the mix-up as a “silly” mistake. He said internal discussions would follow.
But Nunez questioned that explanation, pointing out that Jacobo had tribal identification on her, had been fingerprinted, and had previous interactions with the same jail. She believes discrimination was involved and said the family may pursue legal action.
Broader Concerns Over ICE Targeting Native Americans
The incident adds to growing concerns among Native communities who say they’ve been unfairly targeted during Trump’s mass deportation initiative. Though Native Americans have been U.S. citizens since 1924, tribes in Arizona and New Mexico have reported ICE questioning and detaining citizens who fit racial profiles.
Congressional Democrats earlier this year urged the administration to stop targeting Indigenous communities, and a federal inquiry was launched last month into misconduct allegations involving the wrongful detainment of U.S. citizens.
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