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June 11, 2026

Federal Government Settles $28 Million Lawsuit with North Dakota Over Pipeline Protests, Acknowledging Law Enforcement's Challenges

  • The federal government will pay North Dakota nearly $28 million to settle a lawsuit regarding policing costs from the Dakota Access pipeline protests, as determined by a federal judge.
  • The settlement includes a federal acknowledgment of the intimidation and violence faced by North Dakota law enforcement during the protests, which involved 178 agencies and resulted in 761 arrests.
  • North Dakota's Attorney General stated the settlement removes financial burdens from taxpayers and places responsibility on the federal government, which also agreed to dismiss all appeals.

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