Native American Adoption Law Splits High Court Conservatives (1)

The US Supreme Court sent mixed signals about the fate of a 1978 law that gives preference to Native Americans in adopting and fostering American Indian children.

Hearing arguments in Washington Wednesday, several members of the court’s conservative majority questioned whether parts of the Indian Child Welfare Act could be squared with the equal protection clause and other constitutional provisions.

But over the course of an argument that lasted more than three hours, the court showed little appetite for striking down the entire law, and conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch strongly suggested he would vote to uphold the measure.

“I guess ...