Santa Fe, NM---Attorney General Balderas today joined a bipartisan coalition of 27 attorneys general, led by California, in filing an amicus brief before the full U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to defend the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in Brackeen v. Bernhardt. In the brief, the coalition urges the appellate court to uphold ICWA and affirm the decision of a three-judge appellate panel. ICWA is a 41-year-old federal law that furthers the best interests of Indigenous children and protects the sovereignty of tribes by preserving children’s connections to their heritage during child placement proceedings.
