Overview

• Oak Flat, a sacred site for the San Carlos Apache, is central to a legal battle over religious rights and mining development.
• The Trump administration restarted the land transfer process in April, aiming to complete it by June 16 despite ongoing appeals.
• Judge Steven Logan, who previously upheld the transfer in 2021, is considering a request to pause the transfer while the Supreme Court deliberates.
• The Resolution Copper project, backed by Rio Tinto and BHP, would create a massive crater and supply critical copper for U.S. energy and defense needs.
• Apache Stronghold and allies argue the transfer violates religious freedom, while the Justice Department contends there is no legal basis to block it.