California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced his support for a bill in Congress that would allow Native American tribes to request assistance from federal law enforcement to find missing children and dangerous fugitives.
He joins 39 attorneys general across the country in supporting the Tribal Warrant Fairness Act on Wednesday.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, and Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, in October.
Federal law does not now allow tribal law enforcement agencies to request support from the U.S. Marshals Service, the way state and local police can, to aid in criminal investigations, according to Cortez Masto.
This restriction means tribal communities, which suffer from disproportionate rates of violence, especially against women and children, are limited on the assistance they can receive to address crime, including finding fugitives and missing people.
It’s one step Congress could take to address the national crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people, Cortez Masto said.
“For too long, Tribal Nations have borne the brunt of violence, historical harms, and ongoing barriers when seeking answers, justice, and safety,” Bonta said in a statement. “In order to alleviate this crisis, we need to not only listen, but to push forward meaningful structural change.”