Overview
- Indigenous Services Canada updated guidance on Feb. 19–20 to strongly recommend a valid passport in addition to a Secure Certificate of Indian Status for travel to the United States.
- Acceptance of status cards at land and water ports is at the discretion of U.S. officials, and status cards are not accepted for air travel.
- ISC says it has received reports of status cards being confiscated or damaged in the U.S. and will issue emergency cards and expedite requests from affected people.
- The Assembly of First Nations urged caution after at least one recent negative ICE encounter, and separate reports cite three Oglala Sioux Tribe members detained in Minnesota earlier this year.
- First Nations and the Jay Treaty Alliance advise travelers to carry supplementary documents such as lineage letters, long‑form birth certificates, and government photo ID; machine‑readable secure status cards have been issued since 2019.