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Three Tribal Nations, alongside Native students, have initiated legal action against the United States Department of Interior, Office of Personnel Management, and Office of Indian Affairs. The lawsuit was filed by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs challenge staff reductions at the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and its schools, Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.
The BIE operates a federal education system as part of its trust responsibility with Tribal Nations. This responsibility is rooted in treaty rights that require Tribal consultation. On February 11, 2025, President Trump ordered significant federal staffing reductions through Executive Order 14210. Following this directive, BIE terminated many employees without consulting Tribal Nations.
"We have a say in how BIE operates the education provided our children in fulfillment of our treaty rights," stated Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph Rupnick. "We will fight to protect the education they deserve and fight to protect the staff that serve them."
Pueblo of Isleta Governor Eugene Jiron expressed concern over the administration's actions: "Tribal Nations and the federal government should be working together to best serve our Native students... Our students deserve better."
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Lieutenant Governor Hershel Gorham added, "Despite having a treaty obligation to provide educational opportunities to Tribal students, the federal government has long failed to offer adequate services... we won’t sit by and watch them fail."
The impact on students has been severe. Haskell's student newspaper reported that courses were left without instructors, affecting educational quality as faculty took on additional classes. SIPI experienced similar issues with nearly a quarter of its staff lost; power outages went unresolved due to insufficient maintenance personnel.
Haskell Freshman Ella Bowen noted: “They keep saying that these cuts won’t impact individuals and services, but they do – they affect us a lot.” SIPI student Kaiya Jade Brown shared her struggles during a power outage: “It is really hard to focus on learning and classes when these interruptions keep happening.”
The plaintiffs argue that these staff reductions violate Tribal rights under federal law (25 U.S.C. 2003), which mandates notification and consultation with Tribal Nations before such changes occur.
NARF Staff Attorney Jacqueline De León commented: “The abrupt and drastic changes that happened since February... is completely illegal.” NARF Deputy Director Matt Campbell emphasized that rehiring some instructional staff does not address all issues: “It is not even close to enough.”
In February 2025 alone, Haskell University lost more than a quarter of its staff while SIPI faced similar challenges with unresolved power outages disrupting classes.
