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Washington (CNN)The Supreme Court said Thursday that a large swath of eastern Oklahoma, including Tulsa, is Native American land for purposes of federal criminal law in a decision that the state argued could call into question thousands of state prosecutions for serious crimes.
Justice Neil Gorsuch penned the 5-4 opinion joined by the liberals on the bench.
"Today we are asked whether the land these treaties promised remains an Indian reservation for purposes of federal criminal law," said Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. "Because Congress has not said otherwise, we hold the government to its word," he said.
Under the law, crimes involving Native Americans on a reservation are under federal, not state, jurisdiction.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
