In court filings Friday, attorneys for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the state Department of Child Safety federal agency acknowledged the Indian Child Welfare Act does require state courts when placing Indian children for adoption to give preference to a member of the child’s extended family. That is followed by priority by other members of the child’s tribe and, ultimately, other Indian families.
But they told U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake that Congress had a valid reason for approving the law.
Read the full article at the Casa Grande Dispatch website.