The Miccosukee Tribe of Florida is being accused of selectively stopping non-Indian motorists who drive near tribal lands.

The tribe's police erected a checkpoint near, but not on, tribal land. Miccosukee chairman Billy Cypress said it is needed to prevent terrorist attacks against the tribe.

But motorists say the tribal police are engaging in reverse racial profiling. "My understanding is they were profiling people who did not look Indian, and stopping them more frequently,'' State Rep. Gustavo Barreiro told The Miami Herald. "It's wrong, it's absolutely wrong."

Barreiro heads a committee that is considering a bill to retrocede the state's jurisdiction over tribal lands. Florida is a Public Law 280 state.

Get the Story:
Checkpoint a flash point in fight over tribal police (The Miami Herald 3/31)
Panel clears Miccosukee governance bill (The Naples Daily News 3/31)

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