U.S. Supreme Court upholds Indian Child Welfare Act in 7-2 vote

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act in a seven to two vote.

The court preserves the system that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children.

The decision rejects a broad attack from some Republican-led states who argue the law is based on race.

Supporters of the law say it’s a way to preserve Native families and culture.

“As we know in this country, there’s a long history, a tragic history of Indian youth being taken off their home reservations. Sent to boarding schools, fostered to other families, those sorts of things. That destroys tribal culture, it’s very dangerous in terms of the future for tribes across the country. So, it’s a very big victory for tribes across the country in the U.S Supreme Court today,” says attorney Tim Purdon.

ICWA has long stood as a landmark law after a congressional investigation found that over a third of all Native children had been removed from their tribal homes.

They had been placed with non-Indian families and institutions with no ties to tribes.