An officer with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department makes a traffic stop on July 31, 2015. Photo from Twitter

The Chemehuevi Tribe asked a federal judge to stop law enforcement authorities in California from citing its members on the reservation.

A lawsuit filed in in federal court last week accuses the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department of racially profiling tribal members. The complaint contends the county lacks jurisdiction to enforce the California Motor Vehicle Code in Indian Country.

"Congress can expressly provide that state laws be applicable to Indian persons residing on their reservation," the lawsuit reads. "But except for two specific federal statutes, no statutory authority exists granting the state of California or any of its political subdivisions jurisdiction over Indian persons within the exterior boundaries of any Indian reservation within the state."

Turtle Talk has posted the complaint in the case, Chemehuevi Tribe v. McMahon.

Get the Story:
Tribe Fights Racial Profiling on the Rez (Courthouse News Service 8/3)