Congresswoman Judy Chu | Official U.S. House headshot
Congresswoman Judy Chu | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 15, the Supreme Court issued a 7-2 decision to uphold protections for Native American children. The court’s ruling in Brackeen v. Haaland preserves the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and means that children who are members of federally recognized tribes will continue to have protection under federal law against being removed from their tribal communities for foster care or adoption. Before ICWA, as many as one-third of all tribal children were removed from their homes by state child welfare and private adoption agencies, and the vast majority of these children were placed outside of their families and communities.
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is to be celebrated as the Court has respected precedent and ruled that the Indian Child Welfare Act is constitutional,” said Rep. Chu. “ICWA, which has long been referred to as the gold standard in child welfare practice, will continue to keep children safely connected to their extended family, communities, and culture.”
“This case was essential for our future,” said Charles Martin, Chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which was one of four tribes to intervene in the Brackeen v Haaland case. “It was about protecting our children and our sovereignty; and the Court clearly saw that. By upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act in full, we now can move on to the real work of addressing the historic trauma in our communities.”
“With this decision behind us, there is still more work to be done to strengthen ICWA because Native American children are still disproportionately represented in the foster care system,” continued Rep. Chu. “State and local agencies play a significant role in locating family placements and outreach to tribal communities. That is why I have introduced the bipartisanStrengthening Tribal Families Act along with my colleague Rep. Don Bacon, which will assist state and local child welfare agencies with implementation of ICWA. By ensuring these agencies have federal funding and guidance, we can keep children and youth connected to their culture, elders and community, thereby promoting resiliency and well-being.”
Chairman Martin added, “Congresswoman Chu has been among the Tribe's strongest allies in protecting this law and Tribal families. Today’s decision validates her work and I know she will continue to fight for our community and our children.”
Issues: Civil and Voting Rights
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up