WASHINGTON — United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced Wednesday, June 28, that the U.S. Justice Department will create a Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.

“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”

“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”

The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, tribal, local and state law enforcement and nongovernmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions are the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes and Southeast, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan.The MMIP Regional Outreach Program coordinator at the executive office for United States attorneys will provide programmatic support.

This MMIP Program also will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, which is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s tribal liaisons and Indian Country assistant U.S. attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues coordinator and the National Indian Country Training Initiative coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.