The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe sued Mille Lacs County in federal court Friday, asking a judge to allow tribal officers to do their jobs without the county interfering amid a yearslong rift between tribal and county leaders over policing.

After working together for 25 years under a joint law enforcement agreement, the county severed ties with tribal police in the summer of 2016 because of concerns about tribal police work. Since then, negotiations over an agreement have deadlocked, mediation ended in impasse and even Gov. Mark Dayton unsuccessfully intervened to urge both sides to end the "public safety crisis."

In the lawsuit Friday, the band asked a judge to declare that tribal officers can investigate violations of federal, state and tribal law on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation and prohibit the county from interfering. Also named in the lawsuit are County Attorney Joe Walsh and Sheriff Brent Lindgren.

Tribal police are funded by the band and were designated as peace officers in a 1991 state statute. But without an agreement with the county, tribal police can't be dispatched, take someone to the county jail, work investigations or seek charges from Walsh. The band says they have the authority under federal law.

The spat is part of a broader dispute over reservation boundaries and strained relations between the two sides.

The law enforcement situation was the subject of discussion during a reservation visit Thursday and Friday by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who held a closed meeting with band officials.

"The county's decision to revoke our law enforcement agreement has tied the hands of our tribal police officers at a time when the opioid epidemic has been ravaging our communities," Chief Executive Melaine Benjamin stated during the meeting, according to a news release from the band. "In 2015, we had seven overdoses. Since the county revoked the agreement in July 2016, we have had 66 overdoses on the Mille Lacs Reservation, 13 of them fatal."

She described the meeting with Zinke as "very positive," the release said. "Secretary Zinke wanted to hear from us about this issue and listened intently, and promised to do what he can to help," she said.

On Monday, the band will hold a rally from 2 to 4 p.m. at the State Capitol to push lawmakers to support a law enforcement agreement.

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141