US EditionNative American Nearly Deported After Polk County Jail Issues ICE Detainer by Mistake
A clerical error led to an ICE detainer being wrongly placed on a Native American tribal member's file, highlighting risks of misidentification in local immigration enforcement programs.
- On Nov. 12, Leticia Jacobo, 24-year-old member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was released from Polk County Jail after an ICE detainer error delayed her Nov. 11 release.
- Mark Chance, spokesman for Polk County Sheriff's Office, described the detainer as a clerical mix-up intended for another inmate with the same name, enabled by the jail's 287 agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Family members mobilized online and through tribal leaders during Veteran's Day holiday delays; Ericka Burns stayed at the jail with Jacobo's birth certificate to block transfer while Maria Nunez described the initial mistake as terrifying.
- Polk County officials said internal reviews are likely soon after human error, while family members considering legal action fear it could happen to others without advocates.
- Advocates warn Indigenous people face misidentification risks as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers surged 72% under President Donald Trump, while Navajo Nation officials report over a dozen recent detentions amid U.S. courts and lawsuits challenging detainers.
9 Articles
9 Articles
Because ICE is that stupid. To where are you going to deport indigenous people? Rwanda?
The whole point of this bit of fascism is the administrative state that Steve Bannon so wants to deconstruct. Local cops get to hold people longer for ICE detainers, because it’s not their job to get past profiling, well… everyone. Breathing while...
Des Moines Register
Native American nearly deported after Polk County jail issues ICE detainer by mistake
Jail staff in Des Moines told Leticia Jacobo she would be turned over to immigration agents — even though Jacobo is Native American.
Arizona tribal member nearly deported after Iowa jail issues ICE detainer by mistake
Leticia Jacobo in an undated photo provided by her familyA day before Arizona native Leticia Jacobo was scheduled to be released from an Iowa jail, her mom visited to verify pickup details with the staff. Ericka Burns was excited to drive her daughter home after spending a month apart and wanted to make sure Jacobo wasn’t forced to wait a minute longer than necessary. But jail staff told Burns that Jacobo wouldn’t be let go because she would be…
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