OHA

DOGE Plans to Close 41 Offices of the BIA, IHS, NIGC, and DOI Office of Hearing and Appeals – Probate Hearings Division

Singel

Below is a list of planned lease terminations pulled from the DOGE website on March 10, 2025. The list is likely incomplete and inaccurate, since DOGE’s “wall of receipts” has notoriously overstated its savings impact for federal taxpayers, requiring numerous corrections since it began posting details of its work.

The list below also includes plans for the closure of seven additional BIA offices. These additional closures were pulled from a table published by the Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee.

“The impact on Bureau of Indian Affairs offices will be especially devastating. These offices are already underfunded, understaffed, and stretched beyond capacity, struggling to meet the needs of Tribal communities who face systemic barriers to federal resources. Closing these offices will further erode services like public safety, economic development, education, and housing assistance—services that Tribal Nations rely on for their well-being and self-determination.” – Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee

Mark Macarro, President of NCAI, explained to the A.P. that funding for the BIA, IHS, and the BIE represents the lion’s share of the government’s obligations to tribes, and last year those departments made up less than a quarter of 1% of the federal budget. “They’re looking in the wrong place to be doing this,” said Macarro. “And what’s frustrating is that we know that DOGE couldn’t be a more uninformed group of people behind the switch. They need to know, come up to speed real quick, on what treaty rights and trust responsibility means.”

AGENCYLOCATIONSQ FTANNUAL LEASE
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSCARNEGIE, OK0$2,798
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSST. GEORGE, UT750$50,400
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSFREDONIA, AZ1,500$22,860
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-CALIFORNIAARCATA, CA1,492$37,012
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE NAVAJOFARMINGTON, NM2,000$62,677
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSPAWNEE, OK7,549$156,171
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSSEMINOLE, OK9,825$184,770
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-BEMIDJIBEMIDJI, MN4,896$133,916
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE -OKLAHOMAOKLAHOMA CITY, OK5,000$119,951
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSWATONGA, OK2,850$38,573
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSPABLO, MT620$10,418
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSRAPID CITY, SD1,825$53,911
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSFORT THOMPSON, SD4,870$58,976
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSSISSETON, SD4,911$180,008
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-BEMIDJITRAVERSE CITY, MI798$28,638
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSZUNI, NM2,117$39,819
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE NAVAJOGALLUP, NM20,287$322,529
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSELKO, NV4,760$134,297
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSASHLAND, WI34,970$649,408
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSSHAWANO, WI1,990$36,395
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE NAVAJOSAINT MICHAELS, AZ40,924$1,074,931
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSPHOENIX, AZ71,591$1,784,239
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSREDDING, CA5,307$154,103
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSHOLLYWOOD, FL3,000$79,365
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-PHOENIXELKO, NV853$22,240
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-NASHVILLEMANLIUS, NY2,105$37,648
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-NASHVILLEOPELOUSAS, LA1,029$25,015
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-BEMIDJISAULT STE MARIE, MI1,100$34,375
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-CALIFORNIAUKIAH, CA1,848$45,857
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSPAWHUSKA, OK10,335$166,134
NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSIONRAPID CITY, SD1,518$43,938
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSTOPPENISH, WA17,107$533,985
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSBARAGA, MI1,200$14,400
OFFICE OF HEARING AND APPEALS
(PROBATE HEARINGS DIVISION)		RAPID CITY, SD2,252$53,198
TOTALS270927$6,339,757
Additional Office Closures – House Natural Resources Committee List
BUREAULOCATIONPLANNED TERM. DATE
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSSHOW LOW, AZ1/26/2026
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSTOWAOC,  COTBD
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSLAPWAI, ID9/30/2025
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSSAULT SAINT MARIE, MITBD
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSPOPLAR, MTTBD
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS FT TOTTEN, NDTBD
1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSEAGLE BUTTE, SDTBD

Unpublished California ICWA Case on Determining Child’s Tribe

Kate Fort

Here.

Grandmother argued child is Native Hawaiian and registered with OHA. Mother argued child is affiliated with Mooretown Rancheria. Mooretown Rancheria argued same. Lower and appellate courts held under a significant contacts discussion child is affiliated with Mooretown, and registration with OHA doesn’t disturb the Mooretown affiliation for the application of ICWA.

Side note–Looks like California law doesn’t list the preference of the parent in the significant contacts determination. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code 224.1(2). The updated Guidelines and proposed Regs both list preference of the parent first as allowable considerations. (B.4 (C)(1) & 23.109(c)(1)(i). Regardless, the outcome in this case is consistent with both.