In a 7-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act. The act was initially passed by Congress in 1978 and challenged in 2018 by the state of Texas and several families.

The 45-year-old law created standards for when the federal government can remove Native children from their families and provides guidelines for the placement of Indigenous children in foster or adoptive homes.

Sarah Kastelic is the executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. She joins us to share what ICWA has meant for Indigenous children and the impact this law has had.