A judge in Oklahoma has ordered the return of an Indian child whose adoption was handled by the same attorneys in the controversial Baby Veronica case.

The girl, known as Baby Desirai, was taken to South Carolina without a final order, News on 6 reported. A judge says she must be returned to the state and handled under the jurisdiction of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe.

"We have to continue to fight for our children. They're not a piece of property to be sold or to be bought or to be traded. They are children of our tribe and we care about them," Charles Tripp, the tribe's attorney, told News on 6.

The girl's father is non-Indian but the tribe is supporting his efforts to gain custody under the Indian Child Welfare Act. The mother is a tribal member who consented to the adoption.

Get the Story:
Court Rules Baby Desirai Must Be Returned To Oklahoma (News on 6 9/11)
Oklahoma Father Speaks Out About 'Baby Desirai' Adoption Case (News on 6 9/2)

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Same attorneys worked on adoptions for two Indian babies (08/30)