U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy has introduced legislation to address longstanding jurisdictional confusion regarding law enforcement coordination on and around Seneca Nation lands in Western New York.

Seneca leaders on Friday lauded the Seneca Nation Law Enforcement Efficiency Act,  designed to nullify what they termed as an outdated, ineffective law passed by Congress in 1948, giving New York state criminal and civil jurisdiction on Seneca lands.

“This outdated jurisdictional framework has created real-world public safety problems,” Langworthy said in a statement. “Our men and women in law enforcement are doing the best they can under challenging circumstances, but when authority is fragmented and accountability is unclear, resourceful criminals exploit the gaps and that’s exactly what we’ve seen happen.”

The congressman, R-23rd District, said his bill provides a solution that respects tribal sovereignty, preserves federal oversight and ensures that any change occurs only with mutual agreement.

“Most importantly, it will make our communities safer, and that is a goal we all share,” he said.

Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca said, during what he called “the Indian Termination Era 80 years ago,” Congress gave the state criminal jurisdiction to prosecute and incarcerate the Seneca people.

“The Termination Era is over, but this law remains on the books,” he said.

While the federal government retained certain criminal authority, the 1948 law established a framework in which the state became the primary law enforcement authority on Seneca lands. The Senecas say, over time, that structure has resulted in overlapping responsibilities between federal, state and tribal authorities, with no single entity clearly responsible for coordinated enforcement.

Seneca thanked Langworthy for introducing the legislation and working with the Nation in Western New York to improve its public safety priorities.

“Our goal with this legislation is to restore the federal government’s treaty responsibility to work with the Seneca Nation to provide law enforcement services,” Seneca said. “Through cooperative law enforcement agreements, we can maximize our working relationship with outside governments to address the drug trafficking on our lands and other threats to the Seneca people, and create a pathway for the development of our own Seneca Nation law enforcement capabilities.”

Langworthy said law enforcement officials and Seneca Nation leadership have raised serious concerns that this patchwork system has complicated investigations, limited coordination and allowed non-Indian criminal actors to exploit jurisdictional uncertainty to engage in drug trafficking on and around Seneca territories, including nearby communities such as the city of Salamanca.

Divided authority has often led to inconsistent enforcement and reduced risk for traffickers operating across jurisdictional lines, he said.

The bill removes New York State’s automatic criminal and civil jurisdiction over Seneca Nation lands — but only if both the Seneca Nation and the U.S. attorney general agree in writing to such a change. The legislation does not mandate any immediate action; instead, it creates a clear legal mechanism to resolve jurisdictional confusion when all parties determine it is appropriate.

Langworthy said that by clarifying jurisdiction and enabling a more coordinated law enforcement framework, the legislation strengthens accountability and improves cooperation.

This is the second major piece of law enforcement legislation pursued by the Nation since Seneca was elected in November 2024.

In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that Nation leaders presented and advocated for throughout 2025, amending Section 8 and adding a new Section 79 of New York Indian Law. The new law clarifies existing law, enabling the Seneca Nation to better work in coordinated partnership with New York State Police, county sheriffs and Salamanca police in removing non-Natives trafficking drugs and other illicit activities from the Nation’s territories.

MEANWHILE, IN A FACEBOOK post, the Nation president noted that ongoing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity has caused “increased anxiety and confusion in communities across the country, including within the Seneca Nation and other Native Nations.”

Seneca said many Seneca people have expressed concern over potential ICE actions within the tribe’s territories in WNY.

“The Seneca Nation has established protocols for any foreign government whose officers and officials are seeking to enter our territories for non-criminal law enforcement and non-emergency activities,” Seneca stated. “In November, I personally reached out to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to ensure that she and all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel were aware of our protocols and the sovereignty reflected in our treaty agreements with the United States.”

Seneca said his office has also been in contact with the Senior Tribal Advisor on Indian Affairs at DHS, as well as our federal representatives, and have requested a face-to-face meeting with leaders in the Buffalo office of ICE.

“We are doing everything we can to safeguard our people, our territories, and our sovereignty,” he stated.

Seneca encouraged all Nation members to make sure they carry their Seneca Nation IDs, which are valid forms of identification.

“Part of our outreach is to make sure that federal agencies and officials are familiar with our Seneca Nation ID and aware of what our IDs look like,” he said. “If you do not have a Nation ID or need assistance in obtaining your Nation ID, please contact the Clerk’s office so they can assist you.”

Seneca also said individuals, particularly via social media, could use current events as a way to spread fear and anxiety.

“We cannot and will not let that happen here,” he said. “We will continue to work every angle and take every precaution to ensure that our people and our territories are safe. Please do everything you can to keep yourself out of harm’s way.”