Murkowski Applauds Administration's Actions to Address MMIW Crisis

Press Release

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) applauded the establishment of seven Cold Case Task Force offices across the nation, dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This week marked the opening of an office in Bloomington, Minnesota with an office scheduled to open in Anchorage, Alaska next month, on August 27. Other nationwide offices include: Rapid City, SD; Billings, MT, Albuquerque, NM, and Phoenix, AZ.

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"Addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women is going to take all of us to make lasting change. I applaud the administration for the importance placed on this issue--helping us move beyond awareness to action by working to advance initiatives to turn the tide on this crisis. It has truly become an "all-hands-on-deck' effort at all levels of government," said Senator Murkowski. "These Cold Case Task Force offices are possible because of the funding we worked to include in the 2020 omnibus appropriations bill. Our hope is that they lead to providing justice for the victims and healing for their families. Every step forward is a step in the right direction."

In November of 2019, U.S. Attorney General Barr announced the Department of Justice would launch a national strategy to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons. Following that announcement, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to establish Operation Lady Justice, a task force to help address the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The task force held its first meeting in January of 2020.

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