Drummond rallies nation’s attorneys general to combat Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis

In a letter spearheaded by Drummond, the coalition calls for passage of the legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. The Act would authorize the U.S. Marshals Service to assist tribal law enforcement agencies in locating and recovering missing children and apprehending violent fugitives. Currently, the Marshals Service can only provide such assistance to state, local and other federal law enforcement agencies. 

“Tribal communities deserve equal access to federal law enforcement resources,” Drummond said. “This legislation will help protect Native American children and increase public safety across Oklahoma by ensuring our tribal partners have the skilled assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service when they need it most.” 

The letter highlights the urgent need to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), a crisis that disproportionately affects Native American communities.  

“We applaud Congress’s continued efforts to increase tribal law enforcement agencies’ full access to federal public safety resources,” the letter states. “The Tribal Warrant Fairness Act is an important next step in a multi-government approach to address MMIP and to ensure equal treatment for our tribal partners.” 

The Tribal Warrant Fairness Act would expand the U.S. Marshals Service’s authority to include assisting tribal law enforcement in locating missing children, allow tribal law enforcement officers to join the U.S. Marshals Service’s elite Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, enable tribes to locate and apprehend fugitives through task forces and other lawful means, and require consultation with tribes on implementation. 

Drummond also noted that Oklahoma has seen firsthand the effectiveness of the Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, with recent arrests including fugitives charged with murder, kidnapping and rape. Fully integrating tribal law enforcement into these task forces will increase the likelihood that fugitives from tribal justice are apprehended and provide more opportunities for advanced training to tribal officers. 

Read the letter.