The Obama administration saw a second victory in litigation involving off-reservation gaming in California.
Judge John A. Mendez refused to stop the Bureau of Indian Affairs from placing a casino site in trust for the Enterprise Rancheria. He said opponents failed to show how they will be harmed by the acquisition. The Enterprise Rancheria land is set to go into trust tomorrow. The BIA also plans place a casino site for the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians in trust tomorrow. Historically, the BIA has imposed a "self-stay" on land-into-trust acquisitions until litigation is resolved. But as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Salazar v. Patchak, the Obama administration has rescinded that policy. In Patchak, the Supreme Court ruled that opponents can sue the BIA even after the land is placed in trust. Essentially, there is no longer any reason to "self-stay" land-into-trust acquisitions. Get the Story: