LAKEWOOD, Colo. (June 27, 2025) – Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) is proud to join the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) as co-counsel in a critical Constitutional challenge to President Biden’s misuse of the Antiquities Act. Together, we represent clients harmed by an unprecedented expansion of executive power and federal overreach. TPPF initiated this vital lawsuit, and MSLF is honored to stand alongside them in defense of individual rights, public land access, and Constitutional limits on presidential authority.
In one of his final acts in office, President Biden issued a sweeping proclamation that unilaterally designated over 624,000 acres of Southern California desert as the “Chuckwalla National Monument”—an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. With the stroke of a pen, President Biden shut down generations of lawful public land use, displacing miners, veterans, families, and outdoor enthusiasts who have relied on this land for decades.
Among those affected is Daniel Torongo, a third-generation miner whose family has held valid mining claims in the Chuckwalla region since the 1980s. His retirement plans—to return to the desert and expand his family’s operation—are now buried under new layers of federal red tape. Maintaining his claims has become more expensive and legally uncertain. Expanding them isn’t just difficult—it’s now been made impossible.
“The Constitution doesn’t give the President a blank canvas and unchecked permission to redraw the map of the West. This case is about upholding the clear limits on executive power and ensuring that the public can use public lands,” said Ivan London, senior attorney at Mountain States Legal Foundation.
MSLF and TPPF also represent Blue Ribbon Coalition, a national network of outdoor recreationists—off-roaders, veterans, hikers, and families—many of whom regularly explore Chuckwalla’s rugged trails. The proclamation’s sweeping boundaries have already resulted in trail closures, and more are imminent.
Daniel Torongo has lost his generational livelihood. Blue Ribbon Coalition members are losing access to cherished public lands. And Americans everywhere are losing their voice in how federal lands are managed.
Mountain States Legal Foundation is grateful to join TPPF’s legal team in this case. Together, we are committed to defending individual liberty, protecting property rights, and restoring the rule of law. We are asking the courts to rein in executive overreach and ensure that public lands remain just that—public.
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Mountain States Legal Foundation is a nonprofit, public-interest legal firm established in 1977. MSLF is dedicated to individual liberty, limited and ethical government, and the benefits of the free enterprise system. MSLF defends its clients through pro bono litigation and seeks victory for its clients at the highest level possible to establish binding legal precedents to benefit millions of Americans. Through its litigation and public discourse, MSLF educates the American public on the threat unrestrained government presents to our liberties. Learn more at mslegal.org
MEDIA CONTACT: Please direct questions to MacKenzie Guy at communications@mslegal.org, or call 303-292-2021.