Who supports ICWA?

There is broad, bipartisan support against this misguided attack on a law that is crucial for protecting the wellbeing of Indian children and Indian sovereignty. In Haaland v. Brackeen, dozens of state attorneys general, hundreds of tribes and tribal organizations,...

Why was ICWA passed?

Before ICWA was passed, Native American children were being removed from their families and communities at alarming rates, with a devastating impact on their upbringing and wellbeing. According to the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), “research found...

Why is ICWA in jeopardy?

In 2017, individual plaintiffs Chad and Jennifer Brackeen, a couple from Texas, along with the state Attorneys General in Texas, Louisiana, and Indiana, sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and its now-former Secretary Ryan Zinke to challenge ICWA. The Morongo,...

What is ICWA?

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law that protects the well-being of Native children by upholding family integrity and stability within their community. Passed by Congress in 1978, ICWA ensures children can stay within their tribal community—an...
ICWA