Trump v. Barbara · ¶466

The children of diplomats were not subject to this complete jurisdiction because they were citizens or subjects of the countries represented by their fathers and thus bore duties to those countries. Likewise, tribal Indians were not subject to the United States’ exclusive jurisdiction because they were bound to obey tribal law. But they were certainly subject to the jurisdiction of the United States in a different sense of the concept. That is, they were subject to regulation by the Federal Government. After all, their tribes were “domestic dependent nations,” Cherokee Nation, 5 Pet., at 17 (emphasis added), and even though the Government allowed tribes a large measure of self-government, it consistently asserted its jurisdiction to intervene.

slip opinion, revised 7/01/26
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