Operation Lady Justice and State Actions

When a Loved One Goes Missing: Resources for Families of Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Adults
Published by the U.S. Department of Justice

Read the Full Guide Here

Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) is an issue that has gained federal attention. The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, also known as Operation Lady Justice, was established in 2019 to enhance federal criminal justice system operations and to work with AI/AN communities in addressing MMIP.

In 2020, Congress passed Savanna’s Act to increase cooperation and coordination between federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies, and to improve tribal access to federal databases. The Act is in memory of Savanna LaFontaine-Greyword of Fargo, North Dakota, who was brutally murdered in 2017. Also in 2020, Congress passed the Not Invisible Act, requiring the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice to form a joint commission on violent crime in Native American communities.

Photograph by Ted S. Warren, courtesy of Associated Press

State Actions

In 2022, Washington State created a first-in-the-nation statewide alert system for missing Indigenous people—particularly women. The law establishes a cold case unit to investigate unsolved cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

Washington State Representative Debra Lekanoff, a member of the Swinomish Tribe, sponsored the bill. Here she speaks before Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill. Other states have passed or are considering related legislation.