A well-known liberal social media account attempted to incite fear by suggesting that immigration officials were attempting to deport Native Americans. However, the Trump administration quickly responded to clarify the situation.
The account, known as Occupy Democratic Party, shared details about the arrest of Leticia Jacobo, a 24-year-old woman from Arizona’s Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community.
“That’s simply not true. This woman was never in ICE custody,” a representative stated.
Born in Phoenix, Jacobo is an American citizen. She had been arrested in September in Des Moines, Iowa, for allegedly driving without a license.
Although she was due for release on November 11, her family received word from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that she was being detained. Typically, detainment orders are issued when federal agents need time to decide if an individual breached federal immigration laws.
“My sister asked, ‘If she’s Native American, how can she be deported?'” Jacobo’s aunt, Maria Nunez, recounted. “They replied, ‘We can’t answer that. We’re just holding her until they come to pick her up for deportation, but we don’t have any details.’
With time pressing, Jacobo’s family rushed to present her birth certificate to prevent her transfer to federal custody. She was released the following day, November 12.
A representative from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office explained that a clerical mix-up was to blame, adding that the detainment was intended for someone else.
“It was a mistake, but once the higher-ups were made aware, they quickly recognized it needed to be addressed,” Lt. Mark Chance said.
The Occupy Democratic Party account reacted strongly, calling for ICE’s abolishment due to this incident.
“ICE just tried to deport this woman,” the post claimed.
“Such occurrences highlight the unchecked authority of agencies like ICE, where administrative mistakes could be life-altering, and systemic racism is embedded within the law,” they added. “If her family hadn’t intervened, Leticia Jacobo could’ve vanished into ICE custody—another casualty in a flawed system.”
The post gained significant traction on social media, amassing over 4.6 million views.
In response, Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for public affairs, took to social media to refute the claims.
“Absolutely false. This woman was never in ICE custody,” she asserted.
Attempts to reach out to Occupy Democrats for further comments went unanswered.
Jacobo’s family is reportedly considering legal action and has accused the authorities of discrimination, asserting that Jacobo identified as a tribal member during her arrest.
“This feels like racial profiling. She’s been arrested there before, so why would they err with someone familiar to them?” Nunez questioned.
