Haaland v. Brackeen
Consolidated with Cherokee Nation v. Brackeen (21-377), Texas v. Haaland (21-378), Brackeen v. Haaland (21-380)
Holding
In child custody proceedings governed by the Indian Child Welfare Act, the court affirms the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit's conclusion that ICWA is consistent with Congress's Article I authority, rejects petitioners' anticommandeering challenges under the Tenth Amendment, and finds the parties lack standing to litigate their other challenges to ICWA's placement preferences.
Judgment
Affirmed, 7-2, in an opinion by Amy Coney Barrett on Jun 15, 2023. Justice Gorsuch filed a concurring opinion, in which Justices Sotomayor and Jackson joined as to Parts I and III. Justice Kavanaugh filed a concurring opinion. Justices Thomas and Alito filed dissenting opinions.
Sep 3, 2021Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 8, 2021)Sep 24, 2021Motion of Chad E. Brackeen, et al. to extend the time to file a response from October 8, 2021 to November 8, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.Sep 24, 2021Motion of Texas to extend the time to file a response from October 8, 2021 to November 8, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
Sep 27, 2021The motions to extend the time to file responses are granted and the time is extended to and including November 8, 2021, for all respondents.
Oct 6, 2021Waiver of right of respondent Navajo Nation to respond filed.Oct 8, 2021Brief amici curiae of Goldwater Institute, et al. filed.Oct 8, 2021Brief amici curiae of California, et al. filed.Oct 8, 2021Brief amici curiae of Casey Family Programs, et al. filed.Oct 8, 2021Brief amici curiae of 180 Indian Tribes and 35 Tribal Organizations filed.Oct 25, 2021Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 8, 2021 to December 8, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.Oct 29, 2021Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including December 8, 2021, for all respondents.
Dec 8, 2021Brief of respondents Chad Everet Brackeen, et al. filed. VIDED.Dec 8, 2021Brief of respondents Texas in opposition filed. VIDED.Dec 22, 2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.
Dec 22, 2021Reply of petitioners Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, et al. filed. (Distributed)Jan 10, 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/14/2022.
Jan 18, 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/21/2022.
Feb 11, 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/18/2022.
Feb 22, 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/25/2022.
Feb 28, 2022Petition GRANTED. The petitions for writs of certiorari in Nos. 21-377, 21-378, and 21-380 are granted. The cases are consolidated, and a total of one hour is allotted for oral argument. Parties that were plaintiffs/appellees in the lower courts shall file opening and reply briefs in conformity with Rules 33.1(g)(v) and 33.1(g)(vii), under the schedule set forth in Rules 25.1 and 25.3. Parties that were defendants/appellants in the lower courts shall file briefs in conformity with Rule 33.1(g)(vi), under the schedule set forth in Rule 25.2.
Feb 28, 2022Because the Court has consolidated these cases for briefing and oral argument, future filings and activity in the cases will now be reflected on the docket of No. 21-376. Subsequent filings in these cases must therefore be submitted through the electronic filing system in No. 21-376. Each document submitted in connection with one or more of these cases must include on its cover the case number and caption for each case in which the filing is intended to be submitted. Where a filing is submitted in fewer than all of the cases, the docket entry will reflect the case number(s) in which the filing is submitted; a document filed in all of the consolidated cases will be noted as “VIDED.”
Mar 18, 2022Blanket Consent filed by Chad Everet Brackeen, et al. VIDED.Mar 18, 2022Blanket Consent filed by Texas. VIDED.Mar 18, 2022Joint motion of the parties for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed. VIDED.Mar 29, 2022Motion of the parties to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and the opening briefs on the merits is extended to and including May 26, 2022. The time to file the response briefs on the merits is extended to and including August 5, 2022. VIDED.
Mar 29, 2022Application (21A555) to file consolidated briefs on the merits in excess of the word limits, submitted to Justice Alito.Mar 31, 2022Application (21A555) granted by Justice Alito to file consolidated briefs on the merits in excess of the word limits, provided that plaintiffs/appellees file two consolidated opening briefs on the merits of no more than 20,000 words each and two consolidated reply briefs on the merits of no more than 8,000 words each, and that defendants/appellants file three consolidated response briefs on the merits of no more than 22,500 words each.
May 26, 2022Brief of plaintiff/appellee The State of Texas filed. VIDED.May 26, 2022Brief of plaintiffs/appellees Chad Everet Brackeen, et al. filed. VIDED.May 26, 2022Joint appendix filed (statement of costs filed). VIDED.Jun 1, 2022Brief amici curiae of Goldwater Institute, et al. filed. VIDED.Jun 1, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Foster Parents and Pacific Legal Foundation in support of Chad Everet Brackeen, et al. filed. VIDED.Jun 1, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Project on Fair Representation filed. VIDED.Jun 1, 2022Brief amici curiae of States of Ohio and Oklahoma filed. VIDED.Jun 2, 2022Brief amici curiae of Christian Alliance for Indian Child Welfare, et al. filed. VIDEDJun 2, 2022Brief amici curiae of Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, et al. filed. VIDED.Jun 2, 2022Brief amicus curiae of New Civil Liberties Alliance in support of Texas filed. VIDEDJun 2, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Citizens for Equal Rights Foundation in support of neither party filed. VIDEDJul 21, 2022Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Cherokee Nation, et al.Jul 21, 2022Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Navajo NationAug 1, 2022Motion for a further extension of time within which to file the response briefs on the merits filed. VIDED.Aug 3, 2022ARGUMENT SET FOR Wednesday, November 9, 2022. VIDED.
Aug 3, 2022Motion to further extend the time within which to file the response briefs on the merits granted, and the time is extended to and including August 12, 2022. VIDED.
Aug 12, 2022Brief of defendants-appellants tribal parties filed. VIDED.Aug 12, 2022Brief of defendants-appellants federal parties filed. VIDED.Aug 15, 2022Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, et al.Aug 17, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Counsel for the County of Los Angeles filed. VIDED.Aug 18, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Aubrey Nelson and Sam Evans-Brown filed. VIDED.Aug 18, 2022Brief amici curiae of American Civil Liberties Union and Fourteen Affiliates filed. VIDED.Aug 18, 2022Brief amicus curiae of American Bar Association filed. VIDED.Aug 18, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Senator James Abourezk filed. VIDED.Aug 18, 2022Brief amici curiae of Administrative Law and Constitutional Law Professors, et al. filed. VIDED.Aug 18, 2022Amicus brief of National Association of Counsel for Children and 30 other children's rights organizations not accepted for filing. (Corrected brief and PDF to be submitted.)
Aug 18, 2022Brief amici curiae of National Association of Counsel for Children, et al. filed. VIDED. (Aug. 30, 2022)Aug 19, 2022Application (22A171) of plaintiffs/appellees to extend the time to file their consolidated reply briefs on the merits from September 12, 2022 to October 3, 2022, submitted to Justice Alito. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, et al. filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Professor Gregory Ablavsky filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of Casey Family Programs, et al. filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of Indian Law Professors filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of 87 Members of Congress filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Robyn Bradshaw filed. VIDEDAug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of Former Foster Children filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of Family Defense Providers filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of California, et al. filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of 497 Indian Tribes and 62 Tribal and Indian Organizations filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of American Psychological Association, et al. filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association filed. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Motion for divided argument and enlargement of time for oral argument filed by the Solicitor General. VIDED.Aug 19, 2022Amicus brief of American Historical Association and Organization of American Historians not accepted for filing. (Corrected brief and PDF to be submitted.)
Aug 19, 2022Brief amici curiae of American Historical Association, et al. filed. VIDED. (Aug. 30, 2022)Aug 21, 2022CIRCULATED
Aug 25, 2022Application (22A171) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file the reply briefs on the merits to and including October 3, 2022. VIDED.
Sep 12, 2022Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 5th Circuit.
Sep 12, 2022The record from the U.S.C.A. 5th circuit is electronic and located on Pacer.
Sep 13, 2022The record received from the U.S.D.C. Northern District of Texas has been electronically filed.
Oct 3, 2022Motion for divided argument and enlargement of time for oral argument filed by the Solicitor General GRANTED. VIDED.
Oct 3, 2022Reply of plaintiff/appellee Texas filed. VIDED (Distributed)Oct 3, 2022Reply of plaintiffs/appellees Chad Everet Brackeen, et al. filed. VIDED. (Distributed)Nov 9, 2022Argued. For Chad Everet Brackeen, et al.: Matthew D. McGill, Washington, D. C.
For Texas: Judd E. Stone, II, Solicitor General, Austin, Tex. For federal parties: Edwin S. Kneedler, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. For tribal parties: Ian H. Gershengorn, Washington, D. C. VIDED.
Jun 15, 2023Adjudged to be AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, VACATED AND REMANDED IN PART. Barrett, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Jackson, JJ., joined. Gorsuch, J., filed a concurring opinion, in which Sotomayor and Jackson, JJ., joined as to Parts I and III. Kavanaugh, J., filed a concurring opinion. Thomas, J., and Alito, J., filed dissenting opinions. VIDED.
Jul 17, 2023Judgment issued.Recommended Citation: Haaland v. Brackeen, SCOTUSblog, https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/haaland-v-brackeen/