Indigenous Coalition Challenges Copper Mining Project Over Religious Liberty Concerns
An Indigenous coalition has filed an updated lawsuit in a federal district court in Phoenix to block a land transfer involving their sacred site at Oak Flat, Arizona. This action is part of ongoing efforts to prevent the destruction of the site by a copper mining company. The Trump administration had previously announced plans to proceed with the mining project, citing benefits to U.S. manufacturing. The coalition, represented by the Becket religious liberty law firm, argues that the land transfer was rushed to avoid judicial review and violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The site, known as Chi'chil Bildagoteel to the Apache, is considered sacred and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite previous legal challenges reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, the court declined to hear the case, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also rejected the coalition's appeal. 
