NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court in New Orleans is hearing arguments Wednesday on a 1978 law giving preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings involving Native American children. A federal district judge in Texas last year struck down the Indian Child Welfare Act in a victory for opponents, including adoptive parents, who say it is racially motivated and unconstitutionally discriminatory. Backers of the law, including numerous tribes and the federal government, say that if the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds that decision, many Native American children will be lost to their families and tribes. Backers of the law also say its definition of “Indian child” is based on tribal affiliations that are political, not racial.

Source: National Post March 13, 2019 05:48 UTC