South Dakota
Police academy for tribal recruits should lead to regional effort, attorney general says • South Dakota Searchlight
PIERRE — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley hopes a new basic law enforcement training course that prioritizes tribal recruits will prove the state could host regional training for Native American officers from the Upper Midwest.
Jackley and U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell spoke Monday at the George S. Mickelson Law Enforcement Center in Pierre, in advance of a media tour of the facility and presentations on the ongoing course.
The state’s police academy has long been open to recruits from tribal law enforcement agencies. In practice, though, most attend the 13-week training through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) at a facility in Artesia, New Mexico.
After the basic course is complete, the tribal recruits will be offered an add-on course in tribal policing, which also typically takes place in Artesia and focuses on tribal policing. The BIA has offered its support to that portion of the training in South Dakota.
“The overall goal would be to not just have South Dakota tribal or South Dakota BIA officers here, but because we do such a good job, to expand it regionally,” Jackley said.
Born of controversy, history of recruitment trouble
Gov. Kristi Noem threw her support behind the idea of an additional basic law enforcement course that would prioritize tribal recruits this spring amid a flurry of controversy over statements she’d made on public safety on the state’s tribal lands.
Noem delivered a speech on border security during the winter legislative session that linked migration at the U.S.-Mexico border to cartel-related drug abuse and violence on reservations. Noem has claimed without evidence that some tribal leaders are “personally benefiting” from a cartel presence on the state’s reservations.
Tribes have pushed back on those claims. Leaders in all nine of South Dakota’s tribes have voted to ban her from their lands, citing the claims about cartels, as well as what they’ve described as disparaging comments Noem made about Native American children and parents.
Even so, tribal leaders have long decried a dearth of funding for public safety on reservations, which is a treaty obligation for the U.S. government.
The typical expectation that tribal recruits spend weeks away from their families in New Mexico has been a barrier to recruitment noted by tribal leaders, as well as Noem and members of South Dakota’s congressional delegation.
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, has called for the establishment of a Midwestern training center for the BIA, pointing to the state’s Mickelson Center as a prime partnership candidate for such an endeavor.
On Monday, Jackley praised Noem for throwing her support behind the current course, now in its sixth of 13 weeks.
“I had been asking for additional classes ever since I’ve been attorney general, and I want to give this governor credit,” Jackley said.
The new course is no different from any other basic law enforcement course offered in Pierre, aside from its goal of prioritizing the acceptance of tribal recruits.
U.S. attorney: consistent training, relationships aid prosecutions
The course, provided at no cost to local agencies, drew 11 tribal recruits from three tribes: the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Another 13 recruits joined them from agencies across the state to make a class of 24.
Ramsdell, whose office prosecutes all felony-level crimes that occur on reservations in South Dakota, also praised the decision to hold a tribal-priority training course. She said the basic training is valuable because it brings together officers from across the state to build the kinds of relationships necessary to work across jurisdictions.
There were more than 500 prosecutions led by Ramdell’s office last year, she said, with 220 originating in tribal areas. The office also prosecuted 140 people for drug trafficking.
“Our state really leads the nation on these stats,” Ramsdell said. “We’re often second or third after Arizona and Oklahoma in prosecuting violent crime in Indian Country.”
Ramsdell said she’d looked through the list of agencies represented by the recruits before coming to Pierre, and “over the last year and a half, we’ve worked with each one of them on really meaningful prosecutions.”
In a state as small as South Dakota, she said, cooperation and relationships are critical to public safety.
“I think it’s exemplary of the fact that everything we do starts locally, and without our local partners, we wouldn’t have the success we do at the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” she said.
That’s one of the reasons Jackley said he hopes to see the course pave a path for more tribal law enforcement training in the future.
A training ground near a recruit’s home allows them to get home to their families on weekends, ensures consistency for all officers working in South Dakota’s borders and builds connections between those officers.
“I think all those things make good sense as to why this should happen here,” Jackley said. “I think it’s why we have local officers teaching this class, why we have tribal officers and tribes willing to attend it, and why I think this is going to be a success.”
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LARCHWOOD, Iowa (KIWA) – A Tea, South Dakota man has been arrested on a felony domestic abuse charge after an incident near Larchwood.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Lyon County Clerk of Court’s Office by the Iowa State Patrol, 45-year-old Beau Christensen of Tea is accused of assaulting his girlfriend in their hotel room at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort near Larchwood. He was arrested on Wednesday, July 8.
In his statement, the state trooper who filed the report says Christensen put his hands around the victim’s neck. The victim stated she could not breathe while this was happening.
Christensen was charged with domestic abuse assault – impeding air or blood flow, a class D felony. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.
He faces a preliminary hearing on Friday, July 10.
At last report, Christensen remained in the Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids in lieu of a $6000 bond.
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BROOKINGS, S.D. – Instead of boarding airplanes or planning weeklong vacations, many South Dakota families are spending summer weekends closer to home, filling festivals, community events and family attractions that offer affordable ways to make memories together.
That trend is showing up across the state, according to South Dakota tourism officials. And organizers of many local events say they’ve watched it evolve over decades.
“We did re-coin that term ‘staycation’ again this year,” said Shari Budahl Avery, publicity chair for the 55-year-old Brookings Summer Arts Festival. “If things are a little tight but you want to get away for a day, we can provide that experience.”
Families are redefining summer travel
Travel South Dakota has reported that many travelers are choosing more affordable destinations, taking shorter trips and staying closer to home because of continued economic uncertainty. The department said South Dakota is well positioned because many visitors already travel by car from nearby states.
According to the department, 58% of visitors travel within 150 miles of home, and affordability, scenic beauty and family experiences remain among the state’s strongest attractions.
Travel South Dakota reports that visitors rate the state highly for affordability and family experiences, with 87% saying they would recommend South Dakota to others and 90% planning to return.
Shawn Steward, public affairs manager for AAA South Dakota, said travelers look for ways to make summer vacations fit their finances rather than canceling them altogether.
“People still want to travel,” Steward said in an interview with South Dakota News Watch. “They’re just making different choices.”
Steward said many families are adjusting by taking shorter trips, traveling by car instead of flying or choosing destinations closer to home, trends that align with what tourism officials and local event organizers are seeing across South Dakota.
Local events become summer destinations
Budahl Avery said those statewide trends match what festival organizers have observed for years.
“We’re kind of dead center in a pretty good population center,” she said. “People can come on what one friend from Texas called a ‘tank trip’ – somewhere you can drive on one tank of gas and get home.”
The two-day festival features about 178 juried artists, live entertainment, children’s activities, food vendors and historical demonstrations. Budahl Avery said the goal is to create an experience where multiple generations can spend time together without needing an expensive vacation.
Affordable, convenient entertainment
During a recent stop in Brookings, the Cardin International Circus drew families from across the region. Ringmaster and comedian Rulito Videla said attendance varies from city to city, but he believes many families are looking for affordable experiences closer to home.
“If they are staying home, support your local events,” Videla said. “The circus is family-oriented entertainment. You create memories.”
Visitors interviewed in Brookings described making similar choices.
Erica Quam said her family often prefers several smaller outings over one major vacation.
“We live right near Brookings,” Quam said. “It’s close, there were some coupons that made it more affordable, and it’s just a fun, easy activity.”
Sienna Vanmeveren also chose to stay closer to home this summer to save money.
“It’s easier than traveling somewhere,” she said, adding that she would likely travel more if finances allowed.
Not every family is changing its travel habits.
Sviatlana Senchanka said her family recently completed a road trip from South Dakota to California and continues to spend time outdoors at local lakes. She said work schedules determine when her family travels more than travel costs.
For Budahl Avery, however, the value of community events extends beyond economics.
“What keeps families coming back?” she said. “Tradition. Joy. Making memories.”
Whether families travel across the country or simply across town, organizers and visitors alike say a memorable summer doesn’t always require going far from home.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, subscribe for free and donate at sdnewswatch.org. Amina Aidarkhanova received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. Contact: amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org.
South Dakota
South Dakota governor’s office reports helping with over 800 deportations as feds deliver funding
South Dakota troopers have assisted in more than 204 immigration-related arrests, and state National Guard soldiers have helped process 807 deportations as the state continues to expand its partnership with federal immigration authorities.
The update came as Gov. Larry Rhoden announced that President Donald Trump’s administration has provided $150,418 to the state to recoup the costs associated with the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the terms of an agreement signed in the spring of 2025, state troopers are authorized to carry out some federal immigration enforcement duties.
The money will go toward payroll, and specialized equipment and technology for the Highway Patrol’s enforcement work. The state expects additional funding as operations continue, according to a news release from Rhoden’s office.
In May, Rhoden issued a press release saying the federal government had committed to reimbursing the state $165,000. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a question about the total cost of immigration-related enforcement for the state patrol.
Rhoden’s immigration enforcement push, which also loops in the state Department of Corrections and the South Dakota National Guard, is part of a law enforcement undertaking dubbed “Operation Prairie Thunder.” It features periodic saturation patrols by state troopers, 14 of which have taken place in 11 cities across South Dakota since last July. Initial operations focused on Sioux Falls.
“Our partnership with ICE has delivered strong results, and I look forward to continuing to partner with the Trump Administration as we work to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free,” Rhoden said in the press release.
The governor’s office said 40 Highway Patrol troopers are participating in the program. That’s more than double the number trained in mid-May,
when Rhoden announced plans
to fold more troopers into the program.
The 204 trooper-assisted apprehensions of people who reportedly lacked legal status is a jump from May, when
the state said Highway Patrol
reported 150 arrests.
The Corrections Department, meanwhile, has paroled 25 people into ICE custody for deportation. Four more people incarcerated by the state were approved for release into federal custody by the parole board in June, Rhoden’s office said, and the board will consider four more cases in July.
Each person released from state custody saves the state an average of $34,000 per year, Rhoden’s office said.
Seven South Dakota National Guard soldiers have also remained deployed in Sioux Falls and Rapid City since the fall to help ICE process deportations. National Guard-assisted deportation processing starting in May 2025
rose from 664 through mid-May
to 807 as of Tuesday.
The state Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for the total number of people deported from South Dakota since the state began coordinating with ICE.
Some of the people whose ICE deportations were aided by the state National Guard may not have been living in South Dakota, Rhoden spokesperson Josie Harms told Searchlight, as they could’ve been apprehended while traveling through the state.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment on the total number of people deported from South Dakota since Trump took office.
— This story was originally published on southdakotasearchlight.com.
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