The United States, supported by the State of Utah, had moved to transfer the lawsuits from federal court in Washington, D.C. to Utah. That motion was opposed by the plaintiffs, including Native American tribes, conservation groups and local businesses.
“We are gratified by today’s decision by Judge Chutkan to keep these significant cases in federal district court in Washington, D.C.," said Stephen Bloch, legal director for SUWA in a Sept. 24 statement. "With this venue issue behind us we look forward to tackling the merits of President Trump’s unlawful decisions to dismantle Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments.”
SUWA is a plaintiff in two of the cases challenging Trump’s actions.