A coalition of Wisconsin environmental advocacy groups filed a lawsuit Monday challenging an administrative law judge’s decision to uphold the Department of Natural Resource’s permit approval to reroute the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline across northern Wisconsin. 

The petition, filed in Iron County Circuit Court by Clean Wisconsin and Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of the Sierra Club, 350 Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, argues that the administrative law judge ignored extensive evidence that the pipeline reroute will damage local waterways. 

A similar lawsuit has also been filed by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The tribe for years has fought against the pipeline, which currently runs across its land. The reroute is happening because a federal judge previously ruled the pipeline must be moved off tribal land, but the tribe argues the new proposed route will continue to harm its water resources. 

The administrative judge upheld the DNR’s permit decision after six weeks of hearings last year. The petitions from the environmental groups and the tribe move the case from the administrative legal process to the state’s court system. Separately, a challenge has been made against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Line 5 permit decisions. 

“We are more committed than ever to protecting Wisconsin’s waters from the irreversible harm this project threatens to cause. We believe the administrative ruling incorrectly decided critical legal and factual issues, and we are confident that our efforts to hold DNR and Enbridge accountable to Wisconsin’s environmental laws will ultimately be vindicated,” MEA Senior Staff Attorney Rob Lee said in a statement.

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U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has enlisted U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in a long-running dispute between the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the town of Lac du Flambeau over the town residents’ access to roads on tribal land. 

Tiffany, the Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s race for governor this fall, has twice tried to get Bondi to weigh in on the issue, first in an August letter and then earlier this month when Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee Feb. 11. 

The dispute has been running since January 2023 when the tribe placed barricades on four roads after negotiations over easements between the tribe, town and title companies broke down. The town sits within the tribe’s reservation and cannot be accessed without crossing tribal land. 

The easements had expired, yet the town and its residents continued to use the tribal roads without payment, which the tribe said amounted to trespassing.The town paid at least $600,000 for road access and the tribe eventually removed the barricades but the federal government later sued the town on the tribe’s behalf. Last August, a federal judge sided with the town, ruling that the roads are public and must remain open. 

After the federal court ruling, a town resident told Wisconsin Public Radio that he was hopeful the decision would calm the chaos of the dispute and a town official said the tribe has been “patient” with the town despite the fact that the community essentially did not pay rent on its use of the land for a decade. 

But now the town has requested reimbursement for the payments it made to the tribe and, at the Feb. 11 committee hearing, Tiffany said the dispute amounted to “extortion.” 

“The perpetrators of this, the tribe out there, they demanded compensation from the town. I would call it extortion,” Tiffany said.

Bondi responded by saying “we would more than welcome working with you.” 

In a statement, Lac du Flambeau Tribal President John Johnson Sr. said the town’s payments to the tribe were “voluntary and lawful” and that Tiffany’s claim was “inaccurate and inflammatory.” 

“To mislead the public by calling the tribe ‘perpetrators’ is not only irresponsible, it is a direct attack on our sovereignty, our treaty rights and our reputation as a sovereign government,” Johnson said.

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Local officials from Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin spoke to the crowd gathered for the  11th annual Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) on Valentine’s Day  in Duluth.

The movement to address the scourge of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls started in Canada 35 years ago on Valentine’s Day. Later, missing and murdered men and relatives were added.

Held at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), the event featured proclamations from both the cities.

Duluth’s proclamation noted that Native American women face murder rates 10 times the national average and that the “Minnesota MMIWR Task force reports that indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people are more likely to experience violence, be murdered or go missing compared to other demographic groups in Minnesota.”

Superior Mayor Jim Paine said because his wife and daughters are Alaskan natives, he is personally  invested in addressing the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

He described attending the State of The Tribes address by Nicole Boyd, chair of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa at the Wisconsin State Capitol on Feb. 10.

“The only time she broke down in that speech, the only time she wavered at all, was talking about Native women and girls and the fact that too many of them are missing, too many of them have been murdered, and the mission to save them, to protect them, to remember them,” he said.

Paine added,  “We’re doing a lot more this year than last, but that work continues today, and every single day of the year, obviously, like you, the Native women in my life are the most important part of my life, I am deeply grateful for everything that they do for me, and I would do anything to protect them, like all of you, and that means on days like today, we have to speak as loudly and as clearly that the Native women that are in our lives, that are here. We love you. We will protect you. We will do anything for you. To the Native women that are missing, we will never stop looking for you, and to those that have truly been lost or have walked on, we will remember and protect and treat your legacy and memory with the safety that you didn’t have in life.”

Jana Williams, a member of the Leech Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota, talked about the alleged failure of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to investigate the death of her niece, Allison Lussier, a member of the Red Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota, whose body was discovered in February 2024 in her apartment. No death investigation was conducted, Williams said, even though Lussier had contacted the police to report abuse by her boyfriend.

“If you know Allison’s story, you know this, MPD saw an indigenous woman,” said Williams. “They saw drug paraphernalia in her apartment and around her body, a staged scene. And instead of following their own protocol, a supervisor intentionally called off the crime scene. … That one decision destroyed every piece of evidence that could have brought justice to her name.” According to Williams, community members reported that her niece’s killer bragged about her murder. Because of Williams’ activism, the Minneapolis City Council has requested an independent investigation of the case. 

“Who is going to fight for you if we do not stand together?” Williams  asked the crowd. “We are less than 2% of the population. We cannot afford to be divided. We must stand as one.”

Rene Goodrich. organizer of the event, noted the official Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) office in Minnesota, founded in 2019,  the only state office in America officially focused on the issue, served 25 families in 2025 and was involved in eight new cases, including four that were resolved in the Duluth area with three being safely found.

Goodrich also noted the state’s MMIR office has a reward fund, up to $10,000 per person, that was inspired by a city of Duluth reward fund, the first in the nation, called Gaagige Mikwendaagoziwag or “They will be remembered forever.”

Late in the meeting, relatives and friends held posters and said the names of missing or murdered people, including Sheila St. Clair, missing since 2015, Nevah Kingbird, missing since 2021 and Peter Martin, missing since 2024. Others held symbolic red dresses.

After a drum dance, about 100 people gathered on the street with posters, banners and dresses and marched to  the Building for Women where the marchers released tobacco they were carrying into a sacred fire, a tradition for seeking a blessing. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Jana Williams’ name. We regret the error.

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To the beat of a ceremonial drum, flags representing Wisconsin’s 11 Indigenous nations streamed into the State Assembly Tuesday, carried by military veterans who are regarded as warriors in their tribal communities. Their families and loved ones, many also dressed in traditional regalia, watched from the gallery above during the 2026 State of the Tribes Address.

Chairwoman Nicole Boyd  of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians thanked her relatives, community members and lawmakers from both political parties for assembling in the ornate room. Boyd’s community lies six hours north of north of the Capitol in the northernmost point of Wisconsin on Lake Superior and within “the ceded territory of the Ojibwi Nations,” the Chairwoman said. 

“Today, you will learn of my beliefs and values and why I think education is the key to making tribal nations in Wisconsin great,” said Boyd. “I intend to reflect on the work our tribal nations accomplished in 2025, and to set a course for the milestones we will celebrate in the future. We are ready to work hard. And we expect that same dedication from our state partners.”

Boyd spoke of “trust” and “responsibility” in the 250-year-old legal relationships tribal communities have with the U.S. government, including court decisions reaffirming tribal sovereignty and the treaties that ceded “millions of acres of our land in this region,” Boyd said. “But for the original inhabitants of this land, the Anishinaabe, trust-responsibility has much deeper meaning. The Anishinaabe were brought to this Earth by the Creator for a greater purpose: To caretake for this place, the people, and all beings. To ensure it now, and for many generations to come. We are not here simply to take. Our ancestors knew this, they fought for this, and they left us the teachings of reciprocity.”

Boyd said that “wealth is not solely defined by monetary value and material items.” Her elders often reminded her that “we’re the richest people on this Earth because we have everything needed to survive from the Anishinaabe Walmart,” a reference to the land and water that has provided Indigenous people with shelter and sustenance for generations. Boyd shared a traditional story that the Anishinaabe once had an abundance of sweet syrup that would flow from the sugar maples in the forests, a gift from the Creator so that they could fulfil their caretaking responsibilities. But one day, the Creator visited the people and found that the Anishinaabe had over-indulged in the syrup and were sleeping lazily under the maple tree. The Creator decided to water down the syrup, causing the people to labor more to get the final product they craved. 

“To this day, the gathering of this bountiful resource from the Anishinaabe Walmart is a lengthy lesson-learning process,” said Boyd. “Some years we have bountiful harvests, and other years we do not. We believe this is a result of many factors, including how well we are taking care of the resource and our responsibilities. We have ecological knowledge about all of our abundant resources in the Anishinaabe Walmart. Yet, when we want to share our views on why we will protect our water, air, land and beans at all costs we continue to be considered radical, or less than our equal counterparts. We could show all the evidence or research in the world, and still be considered wrong. Meaningful diligence is more than just checking a consultation box. It is taking the time to truly understand the impact of something in the past, now and in the future. That is the legal, fiscal, and moral obligation we all must balance together.”

Boyd asked whether tribal communities were wrong to weigh in on changing a national lakeshore to a national park, or to push back when a major oil pipeline project is re-locating near the largest and most pristine aquifer in the region, connected to the Bad River watershed. Boyd asked, “Why is it wrong to expect that feasibility of projects of this magnitude be ecologically sound, and ensure the water will be protected?”

Each time the chairwoman finished a major point, the Assembly parlor would erupt with cheering and applause from tribal members and Assembly Democrats. Republican lawmakers, however, appeared mostly disengaged from the speech with many refusing to applaud, checking their phones frequently, or leaning over to joke and laugh in one another’s ears after Boyd’s remarks. Nevertheless, Boyd pressed on. 

“Your great great grandchildren will not be righting wrongs if you choose this path,” said Boyd. She encouraged people in the room who are unfamiliar with the issues she brought up  to watch the documentary “Bad River: A Story of Defiance.” “I guarantee that you will understand that ‘water is life’ is not a slogan, it’s why we exist,” she said.

Boyd praised Gov. Tony Evers for increasing collaboration with tribal communities. She asked that wild rice be made the state native grain, as it’s been in Minnesota since 1997 and in Michigan since 2003. She said she  hopes the Legislature will take it up during the next session. She also highlighted tribal gaming as a key part of Wisconsin’s economy. Boyd highlighted how the NFL draft, held in Green Bay in cooperation with tribal communities, brought $125 million to Wisconsin. Yet, a lot of sports betting revenue is lost to unregulated and even illegal platforms which operate outside of Wisconsin, and even outside of the U.S. Wisconsin tribes’ efforts to find  a way to regulate and legalize mobile sports betting platforms would help secure even more revenue for Wisconsin, while creating a safer environment for consumers, Boyd said. 

Health care access is another major issue for tribal communities. Boyd said that tribal nations in Wisconsin own 11 qualified health care providers, and have seen decreases in drug overdose deaths. Some tribal communities have been able to build new health care and fitness facilities, with millions of dollars worth of investments supporting the efforts. Yet, drug and alcohol abuse, as well as access to mental health treatment, are top concerns for tribal communities, as are high rates of suicide. Boyd also called on the Legislature to look closely at gun regulation, saying that in some places children are afraid to go to school because of fear of being shot. Assembly Democrats applauded Boyd, while Republican lawmakers held their applause or appeared distracted. 

Boyd also called on the Legislature to take on flavored vape pens which have grown in popularity among youth. “Kids are being expelled and they are experiencing permanent health damage,” said Boyd. Broadening access to healthy food and treatment to prevent and fight cancer are also key areas for the tribes. Boyd herself recounted having lost two uncles, her father, a father-in-law and many community members to cancer since 2024. 

Food sovereignty and independence, as well as supporting local economies based on food, was another issue she highlighted. Tribal communities produce nuts, fish, bison, maple syrup, rice and many other goods which support Wisconsin’s economy. To many tribal communities, food is also medicine, and having access to healthy and culturally appropriate food is something they hold close to their hearts. 

At one point in her speech, Boyd described what life is like “north of Highway 29,” both the successes and challenges. Although tribal communities have made great strides reducing overdose deaths, they’ve also seen a sharp decline in the number of narcotics investigators dedicated to northern Wisconsin. In 2013 there were four resident narcotic investigators from the state Department of Justice, Boyd said. In 2022 there were only three, and today there are none. Access to emergency medical services is another thing tribal communities hope to work with lawmakers to expand. “We need your partnership,” said Boyd.

Boyd praised Evers for acknowledging the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, a remark which earned applause from both Democrats and Republicans. Tuesday was the last time Evers would attend a State of the Tribes Address as governor. Boyd said that the newly established state Office of Violence Prevention is a good start, but not enough. Women hold important roles in Indigenous communities as the givers of life and matriarchs of their tribes, she said. On Tuesday for her address, Boyd chose to wear strawberry-colored clothing, symbolic of the moon under which her daughter was born. 

Boyd called on the Legislature to make greater investments in education, cultural immersion schools and professionals trained in language. She  called on the Legislature to consider establishing free school lunch programs for children, another remark which earned standing ovations and applause from Democrats but not Republicans. She also pushed for expanded access to higher education, with just 1.6% of college students in Wisconsin being from a tribal community, she said.

She thanked the Department of Transportation for creating dual-language signs around tribal nations, and for establishing a Ho Chunk World War II Memorial highway. Finally, Boyd also called on the Legislature to work together to finally legalize cannabis in Wisconsin. The chairwoman stressed that over 60% of voters want legalization, and that there is great interest among tribal communities to use this “plant medicine” for pain, PTSD, and other chronic ailments. “Wisconsinites are beyond ready and growing more impatient with lawmakers every day on this topic,” Boyd said.

In conclusion, Boyd said that tribes have worked hard to shield themselves from what she called “attacks on human decency” from militarized federal immigration raids as well as increased surveillance and cuts to essential services including  SNAP and Head Start. “Wisconsin is our home,” said Boyd. “The motivation to protect our home may never be relatable to some…I urge us to be vigilant and not surrender our values.”

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On Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the final version of its Environmental Impact Statement on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project, starting a 30 day waiting period before making its final decision on whether to grant the pipeline company a permit to move forward with the proposal.

Canada-based Enbridge celebrated the release of the statement as a true milestone, with spokesperson Ryan Duffy praising the six-year review as “thorough, transparent, and science driven.” However, Line 5 opponents argue the final document fails to address several key concerns, including the project’s impacts on Indigenous treaty rights and alternatives for transporting oil outside of the Great Lakes.

The Line 5 tunnel project would replace the segment of dual pipelines operating in the Straits of Mackinac – where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet – with a new, single segment housed in a tunnel in the bedrock beneath the lakes. 

The 645-mile long pipeline runs from Northwestern Wisconsin, through Michigan where it ends in Sarnia, Ontario. It carries up to 22.68 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids through the Straits of Mackinac each day. 

Julie Goodwin, a senior attorney for Earthjustice, which is supporting the Bay Mills Indian Community in its fight against the pipeline, said the final environmental impact statement sets up a predetermined decision to approve the tunnel by failing to consider scenarios where oil is not flowing through the straits.

In its review, the corps looked at four main scenarios: taking no action and allowing the dual pipelines to continue operating, constructing a tunnel beneath the lakebed as Enbridge would prefer, placing a gravel/rock protective cover over the dual pipelines, and replacing the dual pipelines with a new segment installed using horizontal directional drilling under the lakebed.

“The corps had the opportunity, of course, during this environmental review process to look at alternatives that transport oil outside of the Great Lakes region or in different ways. And they just, they never took that opportunity,” Goodwin said.

A 2016 study from the University of Michigan determined more than 700 miles of shoreline in lakes Huron and Michigan would be vulnerable to pollution should Line 5 rupture. A 2018 study published by Michigan State University determined that the economic damage from a Great Lakes oil spill would amount to $5.6 billion dollars.

While the environmental impact statement acknowledges the straits are a profoundly sacred place in the culture, history and spirituality of Anishinaabe Tribal Nations, it does not address the tunnel project’s impact on treaty rights, which grant tribal nations the right to hunt, fish and gather on lands ceded to the federal government. 

The corps writes that its review of treaty rights is separate from its review of the project under the National Environmental Policy Act and that it is consulting on a government-to-government basis with federally recognized Tribes to determine if the tunnel project would infringe upon treaty rights. The final finding will be included in its record of decision.

On March 21, 2025, Bay Mills Indian Community alongside the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi sent a letter to the Army of Corps of Engineers withdrawing their participation as cooperating agencies in drafting the environmental impact statement, due to President Donald Trump’s Administration’s plan to expedite review of the tunnel project. 

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians similarly withdrew from talks with the corps on March 26.

Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said it has been frustrating to watch the corps move forward with the environmental impact statement without completing surveys and research on cultural resources and treaty rights. 

“That’s one of the reasons we left as a cooperating agency,” Gravelle said. “The corps has disregarded tribes. They’ve disregarded tribal treaty rights, they’ve disregarded cultural resources, and it has just been one of the most dehumanizing processes I have ever participated in.”

The tunnel itself will bore through several cultural sites, archaeological resources and what Anishinaabe consider to be the site of creation, Gravelle said and there are hundreds if not thousands of archaeological sites on the north and south ends of the straits.

“Those burial places are how we understand our history, how we understand our culture, how we understand our trade movements, or where we’re meant to be harvesting, hunting and gathering,” Gravelle said. “To then be told that all of these places can be destroyed and that it doesn’t really matter, what you’re really saying is that our Indigenous lifeways then don’t matter.”

Gravelle emphasized that the impacts from the tunnels construction are not abstract or theoretical, telling Michigan Advance that these places are where parents go to teach their children ceremony on the water, uncles teach their families how to hunt and put food on the table and elders share stories so their community can understand who they are as a people. 

“To have those rights limited or overlooked or misunderstood is really undermining the impact that will be felt by generations,” Gravelle said. “Not only by myself, but by my niece, you know, by my children, by the generations that will exist long after I’m gone from this earth.”

In a statement, Sean McBrearty, the campaign coordinator for anti-Line 5 Oil & Water Don’t Mix coalition pointed to several of the environmental impacts included within the assessment. 

“The EIS confirms that the tunnel would result in permanent wetland loss and require excavation and removal of roughly 665,000 cubic yards of bedrock from beneath the Straits of Mackinac, the ecological heart of the Great Lakes system,” McBrearty said. “These impacts are not temporary, and they cannot be undone.”

While much of the focus on Line 5 has centered around the Straits of Mackinac, Gravelle noted that concerns about an oil spill stretch the length of the pipeline, which has leaked more than 30 times over its lifespan, spilling more than 1 million gallons of oil.

However, Gravelle and several other pipeline opponents emphasized that a permitting decision from the Army Corps of Engineers does not give Enbridge a green light to move forward with the project, as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has yet to decide on a Clean Water Act permit for the project. The Sierra Club and Oil and Water Don’t Mix have already called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to block the project from moving forward. 

“All eyes are really turning to Governor Whitmer,” Goodwin said. “She has two choices to either cave to the Trump administration’s agenda and their friends in the oil industry, or stand up for Michigan and protect the Great Lakes.”

Flags of the 11 Native American tribes of Wisconsin in the Wisconsin State Capitol. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)

“How sad that indigenous people have to prove they are not illegal immigrants,” wrote Cindy Smith in response to a Facebook posting by the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

On Jan. 10, the LCO Tribal Governing Board issued an immediate release that it was “closely monitoring recent events that took place in Minneapolis, and around the country involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents.”

Just a few days before, on Wednesday, Jan. 7, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was shot and killed in her vehicle by an ICE agent in South Minneapolis.

Over 1,000 ICE agents were in the Twin Cities area as a major campaign that has received national attention to detain and arrest those who had reportedly violated federal immigration laws. The agents not only tracked down those without legal status to reside in the U.S., but also questioned and detained others because of their appearance, such as skin color and accent, whether or not they were legal residents or citizens. Caught up in the crackdown were at least five Native Americans who were detained, including four Oglala Sioux from South Dakota and one from the Red Lake reservation in Minnesota.

Jose Roberto “Beto” Ramirez, a Red Lake descendant, told a reporter for ICT that he was trailed by an SUV and  when he parked in a grocery store parking lot, he was dragged out of his vehicle without explanation and detained for several hours. Ramirez said he felt like he had been “kidnapped”. He  was subsequently released without any charges.

News reports from the Twin Cities have stated that Native Americans, who are fully U.S. citizens, had been approached by ICE agents regarding their immigration/citizenship status.

In response to Native Americans being stopped by ICE, several Wisconsin tribes issued statements voicing concern over the stops and also offering advice to their members.

“We humbly offer our sincere condolences to all those affected by these incidents,” reads the Lac Courte Oreilles release, which assured members that the Tribal Governing Board “is actively working to ensure our tribe and members are as safe as possible and is reviewing policies to implement access restrictions in areas that are non-public, employee-only, and restricted to ensure our facilities are entitled to every legal protection possible.

“In these unprecedented and uncertain times, it is essential that we remain vigilant and protect one another. We encourage everyone to stand together in solidarity to support each other spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. The safety and well-being of all tribal members continues to be our highest priority. We will do everything in our power to protect our members, reservation, government buildings, and enterprises.”

Jon Greendeer, president of the Ho-Chunk Nation posted Wednesday, Jan. 14, “My office and social media feeds have been buzzing with concerned tribal members following the recent shooting of an American Citizen by an armed ICE official. Now with the news of alleged door-to-door campaigns, the threat literally hits home.”

Also on Jan. 14, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians posted the following: “The Tribe wants to be clear: we do not support or cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Our priority is the safety, dignity, and protection of our tribal members. We are deeply concerned by reports coming out of Minnesota involving the detention of tribal members, as well as ICE actively being reported in areas near our community. As indigenous people to this land, our identity should never be questioned, challenged, or used as a reason for detention.”

On Jan. 12, the St. Croix Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians issued a statement on “opposing ICE and affirming tribal sovereignty,” which said, in part, that tribal leaders “strongly oppose the actions and presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) including the targeting of community members, the detention and separation of families, and the ongoing disregard of human rights.”

On Jan. 10, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community alerted members on Facebook that Native Americans “are being caught up in raids and detained.”

Like several of the tribal posts, the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe encourages its members to be prepared for being “stopped, detained and questioned regarding your citizenship.”

Even though tribal members are U.S. citizens, Wisconsin tribal members are being encouraged to carry their tribal, state and federal IDs and even birth certificates.

On Jan. 14, the LCO tribe said it would be issuing ID cards for enrolled members who live off the reservation in the Twin Cities at the Minneapolis American Indian Center Rotunda, and like other tribes, LCO noted that fees are being waived for the ID cards.

On Jan. 11, the Oneida Nation offered detailed guidance if members encountered ICE agents:

1. “Stay calm and ask for identification.”
2. “Always carry your Oneida ID.”
3. “If detained, say ‘I want to speak with an attorney.’”
4. “Report encounters to Oneida Police Department.”
5. “At home, keep the door closed and request a judicial warrant.”

Several tribes are notifying members that if the ICE agents do not have a warrant signed by a judge, the agents do not have permission to enter their home without consent.

ICE agents have been observed approaching homes and businesses with administrative warrants issued by ICE, which lack the legal weight of a judicial warrant.

Some of the tribes are advising members if ICE comes to their doors without  a judicial warrant to not only not open their doors, but also report the presence of the ICE agents to tribal police.

The Ho-Chunk Nation said it will provide its members with door signs for law enforcement that “alert” officers of the “state, tribal and federal citizenship” status of the residents and communicate that “agents may not enter the property without a valid warrant.” 

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ICE Police at Immigration Detention Center. Oneida tribal leaders in Wisconsin announced they would end a contract to build ICE facilities with a the Oneida Engineering Science Construction Group and apologized saying they were previously unaware of the agreement. | Getty Images

Oneida Engineering Science Construction Group (OESC), a Limited Liability Company (LLC) of the Oneida Nation, is taking action to terminate two contracts it has with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide engineering services to at least 34 ICE facilities.

The action comes after tribal leaders only recently became aware of the contracts that OESC has through a subsidiary company: Oneida Environmental (OE) that is working in a joint venture with Stantec JV, called Oneida-Stantec JV, LLC.

In a Jan. 2 Oneida Live online meeting, Tribal Chairman Tehassi Hill said he had just learned of the ICE contracts on Monday morning, Dec. 29 through social media posts.

“I want to make sure that I clearly state that the Oneida Business Committee (OBC, the agency that runs the tribe when the tribal governing board is not in session) was not aware of this joint venture or the signing of the contract,” said Hill. “I also stand strong in my words and conviction that the business venture does not align with the nation’s values, our culture and who we are as Haudenosaunee People, and it is something the committee would have never entertained had it been made aware of this.”

Jeff House, chief executive officer (CEO) of OESC, took full responsibility for the contracts, adding  that his motives were to provide a service to ensure the ICE facilities were habitable for residents and also as a business venture to sustain the operation of the LLC’s 500 employees.

“I deeply apologize,” House said. “The decision did come to me and I green-lighted the proposals to go forward, and I know it was a huge mistake.”

House said when he made the decision he wanted  to ensure the facilities would be “up to code, making sure they meet human standards, making sure that it’s properly engineered.” And, he added, “while I don’t approve and am appalled by the ICE activities, these people are being detained and put in a facility somewhere, and what had gone through my mind was, ‘Who’s taking care of them? Who’s looking out for their best interest?’ As much as I have disdain for the ICE activities going on, that’s where my mind went, and I was flabbergasted that I didn’t reach out further and get more information.”

House said he was aware of the recent controversy involving the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas to terminate a subsidiary contract with ICE for designing large-scale migrant detention centers, and he applauded the Potawatomi Chairman for noting how Indian people had been treated by the federal government by being placed on reservations and drew parallels to ICE activities.

House said he hadn’t considered the history of tribes and detention when he pursued the ICE contracts, but was more focused on ensuring the ICE facilities would be humane facilities.

According to the Federal Procurement Data System for Oneida-Stantec JV LLC, the recent ICE contract signed on Dec. 26 is for $3.777 million, and another contract signed on Sept. 19 is for $2.601 million.

House said the immediate goal is to begin the process of terminating the Dec. 26 contract, but he noted that the Sept. 19 contract, initiated under the administration of former President Joe Biden, would be more complicated to terminate because work had already begun under that contract.

House emphasized the LLC  would sustain any loss or liability as it pursued the terminations.

To avoid potential liability to the tribe, Chairman Hill noted that the tribe doesn’t directly operate OESC or participate in day-to-day operations to maintain a “corporate veil.”

In a press release, the tribe explained the “corporate veil” is “a legal concept that recognizes a company as a separate legal entity distinct from its shareholders, and it protects shareholders from personal liability for the company’s debts and obligations (meaning the company itself is responsible for its own liabilities).”

However, the OBC does appoint members to the corporate board of OESC, and there are regular reports from the LLC to the OBC.

“It is important to reiterate that the Oneida Business Committee does not approve, negotiate or manage individual contracts of its subsidiaries,” said Hill, “and only provides high-level oversight.”

Hill read a recently passed OBC resolution that directs business decisions to reflect the Oneida Nation values and specifically states that “any employee or representative of Oneida Nation and its tribal corporations to disengage with all grant agreements and contracts that involve Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

In the future, House said, he will keep the OBC informed of any gray areas of concern.

In 2025, House said, OESC processed $177 million in revenue and made $12 million in profit, most of which was reinvested in the LLC, with a small amount given to the tribe’s general fund. He estimated the valuation of the LLC as somewhere between $80-100 million.

House said one of his primary concerns in securing contracts, most of which are for engineering services, is keeping the LLC’s 500 employees on the job.

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Kimberly LaRonge of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other LCO members show their support for two Catholic nuns who have taught at a school on tribal land for more than 50 years. (Photo by Frank Zufall/Wisconsin Examiner)

Sisters Felissa Zander, and Maryrose Theobald, both 88 years of age, have served as teachers for more than five decades at the only tuition-free Catholic School in Wisconsin: St. Francis Solanus School, a mission school founded in 1885 on the Lac Courte Oreilles Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in Sawyer County.

Recently, the two sisters informed tribal members, many of whom attended the school as children, that their religious order, School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF), was calling them to leave their teaching positions on the reservation and move to an assisted living facility in Milwaukee.

The news caused a stir, especially after Sister Felissa expressed concern that no replacements from her order were scheduled to arrive, raising questions about how the school could continue to function.

A small group of protesters gathered at the entrance to the church/school Sunday morning, Nov. 23. The demonstrators all had a connection to the parish, the school and the sisters. 

Susan Aasen, a tribal member and lawyer who had attended the school, said she had been in contact with the two sisters and said they were distraught over the pressure to leave.

“They’re crying,” she said of the sisters. “This is their home. They have no connections in Milwaukee.”

“You see them crying and they’re sad,” said tribal member Denise Cross. “They don’t want to go.”

Sister Felissa, who has taught at the school for 64 years, told the Wisconsin Examiner she didn’t want to leave the mission or teaching and even though she had experienced some medical issues, she was still capable of serving the community and wanted to continue until she was unable. She added that she was originally informed she would have to leave Dec. 2 and then the date was changed to Jan. 6.

“I have known Sister Felissa for a generation; she’s woven into the fabric of our community,” said Kimberly LaRonge, a tribal member who practices the Midewinwin spiritual tradition, but whose family helped build the church. She said she had been helped by Sister Felissa over the years.

Laronge said there was “outrage” in the community because of the perceived disrespect towards the sisters and also the lack of communication with the tribe.

Tribal members expressed concern for the two sisters, the school, but also what would happen to the church property, including the graveyard where many of their ancestors are buried, and artifacts tribal members had given to the church. They said they had heard the convent would be converted into a retreat for retired priests, a rumor the local bishop said was not true at a community meeting on Dec. 2. He also assured tribal members the graveyard would not be disturbed. 

Applause for Bishop’s statement that the nuns won’t be sent away

On Tuesday night, Dec. 2 in the Bingo Hall of the St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church on the LCO reservation, Bishop James Powers spoke to 185 people, mostly tribal members.

“Let me begin first of all by saying that the School Sisters of St. Francis stationed in Milwaukee, headquartered there, have decided not to call Sister Felissa and Sister Maryrose back to Milwaukee, at this time,” he said, as the room burst into applause.

An undated statement to parishioners was circulated after the Dec. 2 meeting, from Sister Kathleen O’Brien, U.S. Provincial Coordinator in Milwaukee for the religious order.

“We have profound respect for our Sisters’ many decades of loving service to generations of Catholics in the Lac Courte Oreilles region,” Sister O’Brien wrote. “We have rejoiced in their milestone of consecrated life, supported their tireless ministry efforts, and worked closely with them to meet their physical and spiritual care in times of surgery and recovery.”

Sister O’Brien noted the order supports their sisters with a “philosophy of care of sisterhood.”

“…our sisters affirm that we are women of faith, responding to God’s call,” she wrote. “We value holistic growth and self-responsibility, interdependence and conservation of God’s resources. We believe in the goodness and potential of all sisters throughout the life course.”

Michael O’Loughlin, the congregation’s communications director, said that sisters from the Milwaukee order are in regular contact with Sister Felissa and Sister Maryrose.

O’Loughlin reiterated the order’s commitment to “self-responsibility as well as interdependence,” and the  “right of each individual to make informed health choices” while collaborating with others in making those decisions. 

“In keeping with this philosophy of care, our sisters in leadership and healthcare professionals will continue to work in partnership with Sister Maryrose and Sister Felissa to compassionately and evaluate their health needs and responsibilities,” he said.

O’Loughlin clarified that the sisters had not been ordered or directed to leave St. Francis Solanus. 

At the Dec. 2 meeting, Bishop Powers announced that no decision had been made about closing the school. O’Loughlin said that given the sisters’ advanced ages and that only a handful of students attend the school, the diocese has been in conversation with the order regarding the school’s financial viability.

Sister O’Brien acknowledged the widespread support the two sisters had received from the tribe and community, and she also pointed out that her order had sent sisters to the reservation for over 100 years, starting in 1909.

Dan Blank, the director of administrative services for the diocese, which has direct authority over the school, wrote in an email to the Examiner:

“The Diocese was aware that the School Sisters of St Francis (SSSF) had talked to Sisters Felissa and Maryrose about returning to Milwaukee on or about Jan 6. There was no specific intent to close the school, but the reality of having no one to replace the Sisters had put pressure on Father David (Father David Neuschwander, the local priest of a church cluster, five churches under one priest, that includes St. Francis) and the Diocese to evaluate the options. The SSSF became aware of the unrest among the parishioners and tribal community, and changed their position with hope that the Sisters will be able to continue their teaching ministry at the school through this school year.”

Financial questions and an uncertain future

After announcing the sisters were not leaving at the Dec. 2 meeting, Bishop Powers said he wanted to focus on the financial status of the school.

“Those accounts that are referred to as ‘sisters’ monies’ are monies the sister has received or raised for the direct support of the school,” he said. “And I need to know, how much is there, so that we can know, is it possible to continue the school? There’s nobody who wants to close a school. I don’t care what school where … but we can’t go on without money.”

Vickie Shibilski, a tribal member and a long-time volunteer and cook at the school, peppered the diocese with questions during the meeting. She also defended Sister Felissa saying she understood the school’s finances and “knew what she was doing.”

“Sister does, but we don’t,” responded the Bishop. “We have to know what funds are available. We need to know whether it’s money enough to keep running the school.”

Shibilski complained that Father David had not met with the community regarding the fate of the school.

“He may look at us like, oh, we’re just folks,” she said. “We’re just cleaners or whatever. We talk to the donors. We work with the donors. We’re in the community, and we’re everywhere, and we’re going to stay here. We’ll be here.” 

She also raised a complaint that a staff person at the church had been rude to Sister Felissa, swearing at her, and demanded the staff person be fired. Blank, the diocese administrator, said the incident would be investigated.

Another community member demanded clarification of the bishop’s statement that the nuns would not be sent away “at this time.” 

“Does that mean, like, not today, not tomorrow, but maybe in the spring, then they’re going to be asked to leave? Because that’s not a clapping matter,” she said. 

The Bishop responded, “I cannot stand up here and say that they’re going to be here til they die. No, I can’t, because, again, the community has that right to call them back,” adding that as the Bishop he had authority to call them back as well but had chosen not to.

A tribal member said the two nuns had given their lives to the tribe and the parish and school and if they retire, they shouldn’t be forced to live in Milwaukee.

Blank encouraged tribal members to make the Milwaukee order aware of community sentiment.

Another tribal member said she didn’t think Blank understood how much Native Americans care for elders, including their health needs.

Father David gave a presentation about the school’s finances.

“My desired outcome for this meeting is to raise awareness of the financial needs, particularly at the school, so that they can be met,” he said. “There are so many people who have volunteered so much and given so much of their lives. I would love to see more people financially supporting our school. In order to do that, people need to know what’s going on.”

Shibilski challenged the priest, saying he hadn’t mentioned the St. Francis parish or school during his Sunday services from Hayward that are broadcast on the radio. She was also critical that he had not attended important community events.

“Rarely do you visit our school or spend any time with our children, and I think you’ve only been in our classroom maybe once,” she said. “If you’re going to lead you need to lead all of us and be here and show the children and your parents, because right now, I don’t really believe they know you well. I don’t even know you well.”

Father David responded that he wanted to communicate “more clearly.” He added that during his first two years of service he looked at the finances of the church, and then the last year, he began looking at the finances of the school.

He noted neither the parish nor the school was in debt.

He then shared a pie chart showing the school’s expenses and revenue of $260,370. The biggest source of revenues is an endowment of $86,850. In two years, he said, the endowment would be spent down.

After the meeting, Father David said, “I hold Sister Felissa and Sister Maryrose in the highest respect, and I am grateful for their decades of loving ministry at St. Francis Solanus. They have been and remain a profound blessing to generations of families on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation.”

 As pastor, he said, “I am called to ensure the long-term health of all five parishes within the Lac Courte Oreilles and Hayward Area Catholic Churches, including financial health. Because of this responsibility, I expressed concerns to the Diocese regarding the long-term financial sustainability of the school.”

“The diocese is primarily focused on financial sustainability,” he added, “while the motherhouse in Milwaukee has the responsibility of caring for the health and well-being of their sisters.”

Parish concerns

At the Dec. 2 meeting, Bishop Powers noted the Catholic church has had a presence with the tribe since the late 18th century.

“Let me say again, there has never been nor will there ever be any talk of closing the parish as long as I am Bishop,” he said.

A complaint lodged several times during the meeting was that money from St. Francis and the other church on the reservation, St. Ignatius, is going to fund staff working at the Hayward church, and the perception that the tribal parishes were not receiving value from their dollars.

“What has St Francis gained from having this cluster?” Shibilski asked. “I don’t see that we gained anything; we’re losing here.”

Bishop Powers noted there were not enough priests in the diocese to serve just one parish, and he said the advantage of a cluster is “stability of operation” and the use of standard bookkeeping, which he said hadn’t been used for years at either the St. Francis parish or the school.

Shibilski said the cluster could just consist of St. Francis and St. Ignatius, with Father Karunakar Madanu (an international priest from India) serving both parishes.

“I’m begging you. I’m begging you, please, give us our cluster back,” she said. “Give us our parish back.”

“I can’t make that promise,” responded the Bishop.

Father David said he would like to hire a bookkeeper from the parish and create a finance council.

“But sometimes we think you’re just worried about the money, that’s all you’ve been asking about,” Shibilski responded.

Another community member said churches often donate to the mission field, and that St. Francis was designated as a mission and therefore should not be expected to generate revenue for the Church.

Larry French, the director of finance for the diocese, said when he asked about receipts for St. Francis school none could be produced.

“We didn’t have receipts for this school,” said French. “We didn’t know what was coming in. We didn’t know what was going out. You can’t audit when you don’t have anything to audit.”

Blank also noted that St. Francis parish didn’t have a finance council and questioned whether it had a parish council. And he also said if there are concerns on how contracts were given for facility work, there should be a building and grounds committee overseeing those projects

Several audience members then suggested an audit of the Hayward church.

“You know you should respect us a little more than what you are giving us,” said one community member.

Blank responded, “We have great respect, and we continue to support you. We are listening and learning. So yes, there can be an audit. Yes, there can be a request to the mother house that the sisters stay here forever. We can’t speak to that. We don’t have authority for that. Bishop can be in conversation with them.”

Blank also asked the audience to give Father David a second chance to work with the parish and school.

After the Dec. 2 meeting, the  diocese put out a statement thanking those who participated.

“We listened to the many concerns and requests from parishioners and LCO tribal members. There are many issues to consider and act on. In order to move forward together, we will need many volunteers for councils and committees for St Francis and St Ignatius. We promise to continue to communicate and to respect the many years of service by Sisters Felissa and Maryrose.”

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