Sault Tribe New Boston Casino
New Boston Area, Michigan | Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians pursued a proposed casino development on approximately 71 acres near Detroit Metro Airport, but the project failed to obtain the federal trust status sought by the tribe. After years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the tribe's appeal on April 28, 2025, leaving the lower-court rulings against the tribe in place.
Project Status: Stalled
Status: Stalled; federal trust litigation concluded
Tribe: Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Location: Near New Boston and Detroit Metro Airport, Michigan
Site: Approximately 71 acres
Primary Issue: Federal land-into-trust eligibility under the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act
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The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians sought for more than a decade to establish a casino in Michigan's Lower Peninsula on property near Detroit Metro Airport.
The tribe purchased the property in 2012 using interest from its Self-Sufficiency Fund and later asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to take the land into federal trust. The tribe argued that the acquisition qualified under provisions of the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act, or MILCSA.
Interior rejected the trust request, triggering years of litigation over whether the federal government was required to place the property into trust.
Proposed Casino Site
The property at the center of the dispute consists of approximately 71 acres near Detroit Metro Airport. The parcel was identified in the federal litigation as the Sibley Parcel, near Sibley Road and Interstate 275.
The tribe acquired the property in 2012 as part of its effort to establish a Lower Peninsula casino.
The Land-Into-Trust Dispute
The central issue was not a conventional discretionary fee-to-trust application. Instead, the Sault Tribe argued that the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act required Interior to take the property into trust because of the way the tribe purchased the land using its Self-Sufficiency Fund.
Interior disagreed that the transaction satisfied the statutory requirements.
The litigation ultimately returned to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On June 28, 2024, the court affirmed the district court's judgment in favor of Interior. The appeals court agreed that purchasing land for a casino, while intending to use a portion of potential casino profits for tribal welfare, did not make the land purchase a qualifying expenditure under the statutory provision at issue.
Supreme Court Declines the Appeal
The Sault Tribe subsequently sought review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
On April 28, 2025, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. That left the lower-court decision rejecting the tribe's effort to compel Interior to take the New Boston-area property into trust in place.
As a result, the proposed casino did not obtain the federal trust status sought through that litigation.
Project Timeline
2012: The Sault Tribe purchased the property near Detroit using interest from its Self-Sufficiency Fund.
2014: The tribe asked the Interior Department to take the land into trust under the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act.
2017: Interior declined to take the property into trust.
2018: The tribe brought federal litigation challenging Interior's decision.
March 6, 2023: The federal district court entered judgment in favor of Interior following an earlier appeal and remand.
June 28, 2024: The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court ruling.
April 28, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the tribe's appeal.
Current Status: The property did not obtain trust status through the federal litigation described above.
What Happens Next?
The federal court effort to compel Interior to take the New Boston property into trust has concluded. No current federal trust proceeding for the proposed casino was identified in the sources reviewed for this profile.
For that reason, the New Boston casino project is best classified as stalled rather than pending. Any revival of the casino proposal would require a new development affecting its present federal status.
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