The city of Glendale, Arizona, annexed some of the land that the Tohono O'odham Nation wants to use for an off-reservation casino, a judge ruled on Thursday.
The tribe plans to build the $550 million West Valley Resort on a 100-acre site that was acquired in connection with a land claim settlement. Congress approved the settlement through the Gila Bend Indian Reservation Lands Replacement Act. Glendale says the law requires the land that the tribe acquires to be "unincorporated." The city argues that the tribe's land-into-trust application can't be approved because a portion of the gaming site has been annexed. The tribe said it might appeal the judge's decision. Get the Story: