With the support of dozens of tribes, a lawsuit successfully halted the sale of the national archives building last week.
When expedited plans to sell Seattle’s National Archives building first surfaced in January, dozens of tribes joined Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s lawsuit to stop it. It worked: Last Friday, a judge granted a preliminary injunction to keep the National Archives building in Seattle — for now.
The judge’s order halts the imminent sale of the building and removal of archival documents. A written order filed Tuesday morning details the decision, explaining that the federal government can’t move forward with the sale until the court issues an ultimate determination, which could be some time away.
“This was a gigantic victory,” says Brandon Reynon, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians’ historic preservation officer. “But we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
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