Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians v. Merrick Garland et al

  1. August 01, 2025

    Calif. Tribe Can't Halt Tobacco Ruling Amid Ninth Circuit Fight

    A California federal court won't order the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to remove the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians from a noncompliance list over the alleged sale of cigarettes to non-Native customers while the tribe appeals the decision to the Ninth Circuit.

  2. May 05, 2025

    Feds Say Calif. Tribe's Challenge To Cig Ruling Is 'Fruitless'

    The federal government is urging a California federal court not to pause a ruling affirming the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' decision to place a native tribe on a noncompliance list over cigarette sales, saying the tribe shouldn't be able to upend the status quo as it pursues a "fruitless" appeal to the Ninth Circuit.

  3. February 28, 2025

    Calif. Tribe Didn't Comply With Tobacco Laws, Judge Says

    Federal tobacco regulators were justified in blocking the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians from shipping cigarettes after its wholesale products were resold to people without tribal affiliation, a California federal judge has ruled in a lawsuit that argued the concept of tribal sovereignty was being turned on its head.

  4. July 30, 2024

    Tribe Says Sovereignty 'Sea Change' At Stake In Tobacco Row

    A California tribe has opposed the U.S. government's bid to toss its suit fighting placement on a "non-compliant list" under a law that targets tobacco trafficking, telling a federal judge that forcing it to stop sales would cause a "sea change" in tribal sovereignty.

  5. February 20, 2024

    Calif. Tribe Looks To Undo Tobacco Noncompliance Listing

    The Twenty-Nine Palms of Mission Indians is suing the U.S. government in California federal court over its decision to place the tribe on a "non-compliant list" under a law that targets illegal tobacco trafficking, arguing that its operations comply with all applicable state laws.