Coos Bay, OR — A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled in favor of the Coquille Indian Tribe, upholding the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to place approximately 2.4 acres in Medford, Oregon into trust for the Tribe and to authorize gaming there. In a memorandum opinion issued today, September 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta denied the challenge brought by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Karuk Tribe, and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, and granted summary judgment to the federal government and to the Coquille Tribe, which had joined the case to defend the decision.
The lawsuit challenged Interior’s January 2025 approval on several grounds, and the court rejected each argument. Central to the ruling was the Coquille Tribe’s Restoration Act of 1989, which restored the Tribe’s federal recognition and authorized the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust within the Tribe’s five-county service area — Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane. Because the Medford property sits within that service area, the court agreed the land qualifies as “restored lands” under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, meaning gaming is permitted there.
Chair Brenda Meade stated, “Today a federal judge confirmed what we have always known, that the Coquille Restoration Act allows us to provide for our citizens and rebuild our economy in the five counties identified by Congress. This ruling ensures our sovereignty is stronger than ever.”
Full Press Release – September 4, 2026
Rogue Valley Times – September 4, 2026
KCBY-TV (via MSN) – September 6, 2026
CDC Gaming Reports – September 7, 2026
US Laws website – September 4, 2026
Tribal Business News – September 9, 2026
