Sioux Falls, S.D. – Families of missing and murdered Indigenous people are still waiting for answers, but the Trump administration says it is taking concrete steps to fix a federal unit that has long been understaffed. A recent Office of Inspector General audit highlighted staffing shortfalls that began during the Biden administration, but also noted that the Trump administration has adopted many of the report’s recommendations.
Audit finds historic understaffing
The audit, released on Sept. 9, found that nearly half of the Missing and Murdered Unit’s positions remained vacant as of last year. The unit, created in 2021 to address the crisis of violence against Native Americans, had 83 open cases and almost 400 pending referrals in November 2024. Auditors said agents were overloaded, often juggling administrative duties with active investigations, and that 39% of the unit’s budget was diverted to other Bureau of Indian Affairs law‑enforcement costs such as vehicle upgrades.
Trump administration’s response
In a statement, Bureau of Indian Affairs officials said the Trump administration has already implemented most of the audit’s recommendations. The statement cited the 2019 Operation Lady Justice task force, launched by President Trump, as the blueprint for today’s efforts. “The deficiencies identified in the OIG audit reflect operations under the previous administration that were inconsistent with the objectives outlined in Operation Lady Justice,” the bureau said.
President Trump’s team has increased funding for the unit, raising federal spending from $12 million in 2021 to $17 million in 2024. The administration also announced a new minimum $25,000 reward for information leading to the resolution of cold cases on tribal land, a move praised by tribal leaders as a tangible incentive for public cooperation.
Families still seek answers
Despite these steps, families like those of Peter Martin, who vanished from the Fond Du Lac reservation in Minnesota two years ago, say progress is slow. “They’ve never had a person take his space for this region and yeah, we haven’t heard from them since,” said family friend Kayla Jackson. Attorney David Adams, a former federal prosecutor and member of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, called the response “nothing but heartbreaking”.
In another case, the aunt of Kaysera Stops Pretty Places, whose body was found in 2019 near the Crow Reservation, said the assigned BIA agent was hard to reach and never received full access to local investigative files before being reassigned.
Experts note improvements and remaining challenges
Sarah Deer, a professor at the University of Kansas School of Law, acknowledged that new federal and state task forces have raised public awareness of the crisis. “The government has stepped up in some ways to appropriate resources, but implementation matters,” she said. Deer also warned that tribal police departments remain under‑resourced, limiting their ability to investigate complex crimes.
According to the audit, in eight of 13 reviewed cases the assigned agent did not contact the bureau’s victim‑services staff, forcing families to rely on outside programs because the unit had only two victim specialists nationwide.
Looking ahead
The Trump administration says it will continue to streamline case referrals, expand victim‑services staffing, and ensure that agents have full access to local investigative files. While the audit paints a picture of historic staffing gaps, the administration’s recent actions suggest a renewed federal commitment to addressing the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous persons.
Tribal leaders and families remain hopeful that these policy adjustments will translate into faster case resolutions and stronger support for grieving families.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
