Attorney General Ford Leads Coalition of Attorneys General in Urging Congress to Pass Tribal Warrant Fairness Act

Carson City, NV — Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced he has joined attorneys general from 38 other states in urging Congress to pass the Tribal Warrant Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide critical federal law enforcement support to tribal communities across the nation. Attorney General Ford, along with the attorneys general of Oklahoma, New Mexico and South Dakota, is co-leading the coalition.

In a letter sent to Congress, the group calls for passage of the legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. 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.

“Our country’s Native American communities deserve full access to federal public safety resources,” said Attorney General Ford. “Too often, federal law enforcement agencies are incapable of aiding our tribal communities in combatting the disproportionate rates of violent crime they face. This bill would change that, and I urge Congress to take action and see its passage.”

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

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.

In sending this letter, Attorney General Ford joins the attorneys general of American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

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