A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from transferring federally owned land in Arizona to mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP for the controversial Resolution Copper project, siding with Native American groups who argue the transfer threatens a sacred site. The ruling, issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Steven Logan, pauses the land transfer while the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to take up the case.

The dispute centers on Oak Flat Campground, a site sacred to the San Carlos Apache people, which sits atop one of the world’s largest known copper reserves. If developed, the proposed Resolution Copper mine would create a crater roughly 2 miles wide and 1,000 feet deep, effectively destroying the sacred site.

In his 18-page order, Judge Logan said the Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit organization representing the Apache and their allies, is likely to succeed in its Supreme Court appeal, noting that the group had demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm if the transfer proceeds. "It is abundantly clear that the balance of equities tips sharply in (Apache Stronghold’s) favor," Logan wrote, rejecting arguments from the mining companies that their financial investments justified immediate land transfer.

The order comes after the Trump administration restarted the land transfer process last month, aiming to complete it as soon as June 16. The move marked a significant shift in policy after the Biden administration had paused the transfer amid ongoing legal challenges. Since 2021, lower courts have consistently ruled against the Apache’s efforts to block the transfer, citing a 2014 congressional decision signed into law by then-President Barack Obama that authorized the land swap.

However, Logan’s ruling suggests a turning point in the protracted legal battle, which pits the religious rights of Native Americans against the push for domestic mineral production to support the energy transition. The Resolution Copper project would tap into a deposit estimated to contain more than 40 billion pounds of copper, a critical component for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.

Rio Tinto, which owns 55% of the project, and BHP, which owns the remaining 45%, both expressed disappointment with the ruling. In a statement to Reuters, Rio Tinto said it was reviewing the court’s decision but emphasized that the ruling did not address the merits of the underlying legal issues.

Wendsler Nosie, one of the leaders of Apache Stronghold, welcomed the decision, stating, "We are grateful the judge stopped this land grab in its tracks so that the Supreme Court has time to protect Oak Flat from destruction."

The Supreme Court has not yet indicated when it will decide whether to hear the case, though it has continued to deliberate on the matter for an unusually long period, suggesting the justices are deeply divided on the issue.