The Departments of Justice and the Interior have released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on combating the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized, “These recommendations are an important and necessary step toward healing the trauma, pain, and loss that Tribal communities have endured for generations.” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland added, “Addressing violent crimes against Indigenous peoples has long been underfunded and ignored, as a cause of intergenerational trauma that has affected our communities since colonization.”
The response from the Justice and Interior Departments addresses various areas of concern outlined by the Commission, including law enforcement and investigative resources, recruitment and retention of law enforcement, data collection and reporting, cross-jurisdictional coordination, family and survivor resources, improving public safety resources, and Alaska-specific issues.
The Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by the Not Invisible Act and included a diverse group of stakeholders, developed recommendations for federal government actions to combat violent crime against Indigenous people. This initiative was spearheaded by Secretary Haaland during her time in Congress.
Efforts to address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous people have been ongoing. In 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing federal departments to work with Tribal Nations to improve public safety and address the crisis. Subsequently, in 2022, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act was signed into law, reinforcing Tribal sovereignty in addressing violence within their lands and communities.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the FBI announced an agreement at the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit to enhance criminal investigations in Indian Country. Additionally, the Justice Department has been actively working on preventing new instances of MMIP, locating missing individuals, and investigating and prosecuting crimes. The MMIP Regional Outreach Program was launched in June 2023 to improve the Justice Department’s response to the crisis.
Furthermore, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime has expanded the scope of allowable activities under its Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside grant program to support efforts related to missing persons cases involving American Indians and Alaska Native persons. These ongoing initiatives underscore the commitment of the federal government to address the pressing issues of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples and human trafficking.