Officials with the Cherokee Nation’s tribal government often tout the importance of sovereignty, a term that in tribal debates largely boils down to control of land lying within historic reservation lines.
One Cherokee government website bluntly declares, “The Supreme Court’s McGirt v. Oklahoma decision recognized what Indian Country has known all along: that our land is our land.”
But when it comes to the United States’ sovereignty in terms of border control, a recent report suggests Cherokee Nation officials don’t see something that needs defending, but instead see dollar signs.
A recent report and government records show the Cherokee Nation has made millions of dollars off processing individuals who enter the U.S. illegally—and may have done so despite questions being raised about the quality of Cherokee Nation services.
The issue has gained attention due in part to a report by Project Veritas, which describes itself as a nonprofit journalism news organization conducting undercover reporting. The organization is known for hidden-camera journalism.
In a recent report, Project Veritas released hidden-camera footage of Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, a former Biden transition team member who is now a principal of Deep Water Associates.
In the video, Lorenzen-Strait brags of his work on behalf of Cherokee Federal, an arm of the Cherokee Nation.
At one point, when Lorenzen-Strait is asked if Cherokee Federal is involved in processing migrants, he states that his firm is responsible for Cherokee Federal receiving the contract.
“Cherokee Nation is not this benevolent humanitarian actor,” Lorenzen-Strait states. “They make most of their money with alcohol and gambling.”
He later states, “I helped them move into the migration or refugee space this year.”
At one point, Lorenzen-Strait refers to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contract(s) as involving $2 billion total.
