Native actress Elaine Miles, known for her roles in TV’s “Northern Exposure” and the 1998 movie “Smoke Signals” has spent the last month contending with a run-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents – and the response to her sharing her story with local and national media.
Brian Bull of Buffalo’s Fire reports.
On November 3, Miles says she was at a bus stop in Redmond, Wash. preparing to do a Target run when several men in camo fatigues and tactical gear appeared.
For 45 minutes, she says they deliberated over the legitimacy of her tribal ID, and if they were aware of her rights as a U.S. citizen.
“I go, ‘Are you federal? Are you recognized as a federal officer? Do you have the warrant stating that you have right to stop me?’ And then they kept saying, ‘We don’t need a warrant.’ And I go, ‘Yes, you do.’”
Miles said the men often looked confused at her assertions and finally left when another man called them back to a waiting SUV.
In the following weeks as ICE activity continued around Redmond, Miles retreated from doing things around town, prompting concern from relatives and friends.
She decided late last month to share her story, including with the Seattle Times, Newsweek, and Salon. She found support, but also toxic trolling.
“People are calling me a racist, a bigot. I’m hateful, you know? And then I even had some people say I was a Pretendian. Oh, and I like this one: ‘Miss Piggy, go back to the reservation where you belong.’”
Miles says she’ll keep sharing her story, and advises her fellow Natives to carry their tribal IDs, passports, and copies of their birth certificates.
Meanwhile, Miles is looking forward to her next project: a TV series that will start filming next year.
“Probably be January, February. She’s a knowledgeable cop.”
Tribes across the U.S. have reported their citizens being confronted by ICE as President Trump’s immigration crackdown continues.
On Veterans Day, a Native woman in Des Moines, Iowa had an ICE detainer placed on her, which almost led to her being put into ICE custody, until it was learned jail administrators confused her with another person with the same last name.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.
Janice Talas-Denny (Hopi), the tribal veteran support coordinator at Televeda, installs a Starlink at New Pascua on October 2, 2025. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ)
Without reliable internet, it’s often challenging for veterans to apply for and access financial and health benefits, including mental health care.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.