Current:Home > FinanceJudge orders US government to leave Wisconsin reservation roads open-LoTradeCoin
Judge orders US government to leave Wisconsin reservation roads open
View Date:2024-12-23 19:18:40
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the U.S. government to temporarily leave roads open on a northern Wisconsin reservation, giving non-tribal homeowners hope that they can maintain access to their properties for a while longer.
U.S. District Judge William Conley’s preliminary injunction is the latest twist in an escalating dispute between the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the town of Lac du Flambeau and scores of non-tribal property owners who rely on the roads to access their homes.
The tribe granted easements in the 1960s allowing public access to about 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) of reservation roads. The easements allowed non-tribal people to move onto the reservation and build homes there.
The easements expired about a decade ago and the tribe and the town have been unable to negotiate new ones. According to Conley’s injunction, the tribe has asked for up to $20 million for the right-of-way.
The tribal council in January 2023 warned the town and the homeowners that they were now trespassing on the reservation. The tribe that month barricaded the roads, allowing the homeowners to leave only for medical appointments. The tribe opened the roads that March by charging the town for monthly access permits.
Conley’s injunction said the arrangement has depleted the town’s entire road budget for 2024. The tribe has threatened to block the roads again if the town doesn’t make a payment in October.
The U.S. Department of Justice sued on the tribe’s behalf in May 2023 seeking damages from the town for trespassing. More than 70 homeowners have joined the lawsuit in hopes of establishing access rights.
Conley’s injunction orders the U.S. government to do nothing to block the roads while the lawsuit is pending. The judge stopped short of applying the injunction to the tribe, noting it’s unclear whether forcing the tribe to abide by the order would violate its sovereign immunity. But he ordered the Department of Justice to share the injunction with the tribe and tell tribal leaders that he expects them to leave the roads open.
Myra Longfield, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Madison, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Tribal spokesperson Araia Breedlove and the town’s attorney, Derek Waterstreet, also did not immediately respond to emails.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 9 drawing: Jackpot rises to $92 million
- Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
- Jason Kelce Offers Up NSFW Explanation for Why Men Have Beards
- Dramatic video shows Phoenix police rescue, pull man from car submerged in pool: Watch
- Deion Sanders doubles down on vow to 99-year-old Colorado superfan
- 32-year-old Maryland woman dies after golf cart accident
- Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
- Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump’s White House victory
- Arkansas governor unveils $102 million plan to update state employee pay plan
- Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
Ranking
- NBA players express concern for ex-player Kyle Singler after social media post
- Jake Paul's only loss led him to retool the team preparing him to face Mike Tyson
- NBA today: Injuries pile up, Mavericks are on a skid, Nuggets return to form
- 2 striking teacher unions in Massachusetts face growing fines for refusing to return to classroom
- Congress is revisiting UFOs: Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
- Amazon's 'Cross' almost gets James Patterson detective right: Review
- Up to 20 human skulls found in man's discarded bags, home in New Mexico
- Shel Talmy, produced hits by The Who, The Kinks and other 1960s British bands, dead at 87
Recommendation
-
Kennesaw State football coach Brian Bohannon steps down after 10 seasons amid first year in FBS
-
Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
-
Statue of the late US Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, is unveiled in his native Alabama
-
Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
-
Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
-
Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
-
Giuliani’s lawyers after $148M defamation judgment seek to withdraw from his case
-
Man is 'not dead anymore' after long battle with IRS, which mistakenly labeled him deceased