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Gorsuch Fumes That the Supreme Court ‘Failed’ to ‘Honor This Nation’s Promises’ as It Rolled Back Tribal Authority in Oklahoma

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch blasted the Supreme Court in a dissenting opinion on Wednesday, saying it “failed” to “honor this Nation’s promises” as it rolled back tribal authority in Oklahoma.

The nation’s highest court ruled in the case Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta that state authorities can retain jurisdiction over crimes taking place in Native American territory involving non-native citizens.

Gorsuch joined the three liberal justices to oppose the decision, writing a fiery dissent.

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Wednesday’s ruling is a step back from a previous ruling in 2020 that declared a large chunk of territory in eastern Oklahoma as Native American tribal land under the Major Crimes Act. This meant that only tribal and federal authorities — not state — can prosecute crimes in the jurisdiction.

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