Two Bureau of Indian Affairs whistleblowers have raised concerns about severe understaffing and a growing backlog of missing Native American cases, warning that families are being left waiting for answers.
The disclosures, made to FOX 10 Investigates in Arizona, centre on the agency’s Missing and Murdered Unit, which is responsible for examining cases involving missing, murdered and trafficked American Indians and Alaska Natives.
A federal audit published by the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General found that the unit had 83 open cases and 394 pending referrals as of November 2024. Nearly three-quarters of those referrals had been received between 2020 and 2023.
The watchdog said investigators were carrying “unmanageable workloads”, with agents required to undertake extensive administrative research on new referrals while also handling active investigations. The unit had no fixed deadline for assessing referrals, allowing cases to remain unresolved for long periods.
Bureau of Indian Affairs missing persons backlog
The audit also found that the Missing and Murdered Unit was operating below its intended staffing level. It had 65 funded posts but only 44 staff members as of October 2025, including 27 agents.
Investigators said the staffing shortages had weakened the unit’s ability to process cases efficiently and provide required support to victims’ families. In eight of 13 cases examined by auditors, the assigned agent had not contacted specialist staff responsible for assisting relatives.
The report said the unit had only two victim specialists nationwide. It also found that money allocated to the initiative had been used to purchase law-enforcement vehicles for other Bureau of Indian Affairs operations.
The BIA has said it is taking the audit findings seriously and has implemented most of its recommendations. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland said the agency was improving its case-intake procedures, reinforcing investigative protocols and increasing staffing for the unit.
Mr Kirkland attributed the shortcomings identified by auditors to management decisions made between 2021 and 2024, while saying further work was needed to ensure the unit had sufficient personnel, clearer accountability and an effective structure.
The Missing and Murdered Unit was established in 2021 to prioritise cases involving Native American and Alaska Native people, coordinate investigative resources and improve support for families. The whistleblowers’ allegations now add to scrutiny of whether it has the capacity to fulfil that role.
