Welcome to the first Monday of 2026! Here are some stories you may have missed over the weekend:
Oneida Nation Responds to Discovery Its Subsidiary Was Awarded $6 Million ICE Contracts
The Oneida Nation, located in Green Bay, Wisc., is seeking legal advice on how to disengage from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contracts after learning that one of its subsidiaries was awarded more than $6 million in federal agreements, prompting sharp criticism from tribal members and Native advocates.
Federal contract records show that Oneida-Stantec JV LLC, a Milwaukee-based joint venture that operates under the Oneida Engineering and Support Services Group holding company, secured two ICE contracts in late 2025 totaling more than $6 million.
The first contract, valued at $2.6 million and awarded in September, covers facility condition assessments and property inventory services over a three-year period. A second contract, worth $3.9 million, was awarded in December to provide construction and design quality assurance services for an ICE project in El Paso, Texas.
What Native American Members of Congress Are Saying about the Venezuela Operation
In a dramatic and unprecedented military operation early Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. forces struck targets across northern Venezuela, including in the capital Caracas, and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, officials said.
The raid, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, involved airstrikes and a helicopter assault that overwhelmed Venezuelan defenses and resulted in Maduro’s removal to the United States to face narco-terrorism charges in federal court in New York. U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the mission as a decisive blow against drug trafficking and authoritarianism, comparing it to past U.S. operations aimed at removing hostile leaders.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4) – Chickasaw
Leadership begins with strength, and I stand with President Trump and our Armed Forces in the decisive action taken to protect American lives. This successful operation has captured Nicolás Maduro, bringing a brutal dictator and narco-terrorist to face justice. Under his rule, deadly drugs flooded our communities and stole countless lives, U.S. security was threatened through partnerships that empowered our adversaries, and human rights violations were rampant under his illegitimate regime.
Colorado Governor Orders Flags Lowered to Half Staff to Honor Former Sen., Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Flags are flying at half mast in Colorado to honor former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheynne), who walked on Tuesday, December 30, 2025. When he became a United States senator in 1993, he became the only Native American to serve in the Senate in over 60 years.
Since then tributes have poured in on his life and legacy. Here’s what people have been saying about the life that Sen. Campbell led.
Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Candidate for New Mexico Governor
Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s legacy will forever be remembered. His leadership paved the way to include Indigenous voices. I’m sending his family, loved ones, and community my most heartfelt condolences.