A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration of US President Donald Trump from transferring ownership of disputed land to Rio Tinto for the construction of a copper mine, which local Indians oppose.
In the long-running battle over the Resolution Copper project, the religious rights of the San Carlos Apache in Arizona are pitted against growing demand for copper, driven by the energy transition and Washington's efforts to expand production of the mineral, Reuters reports.
In an 18-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephen Logan said that Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit group of Apaches and their allies, would likely succeed in its appeal to the Supreme Court and that the land transfer should therefore be halted for now.
He added that it was established (even probable) that irreparable damage would be caused if the transmission were to continue.
The dispute is over land at the "Oak Flat" location, which is federally owned and considered sacred to the Apache.
The site, however, has reserves of more than 18,1 million tons of copper, a key component for electric vehicles and almost all electronic devices.
Project "Resolute", if launched, would create a crater three kilometers wide and 304 meters deep, thus destroying the place where the Apaches worship their deities.
Since 2021, the courts have rejected the Apache's request to block the transfer. The rulings were delayed by a 2014 decision by the US Congress and then-President Barack Obama.
President Trump initiated the land transfer in his first term, a move that was then reversed by Joseph Biden, as the case continued to "travel" through various courts.
The US Supreme Court is currently considering whether to accept the case. The Supreme Court has said at least 13 times that it will continue to consider the appeal, which is an unusually high number and a very long time.
Meanwhile, Trump restarted the land transfer process last month, with the goal of having everything completed by June 16th.
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