They settled in a community called the "Indian Village" and maintained close ties with the nearby reservation.

Ruiz pursued the class action lawsuit, "entitlement to such general assistance as a matter of statutory interpretation".

The Supreme Court, in an opinion written by Justice Blackmun, held that the internal Section 553 procedures were not followed, and thus benefits could not be limited.

The Supreme Court further said, "[In] order for an agency interpretation to be granted deference, it must be consistent with the congressional purpose.

It is evident to us that Congress did not itself intend to limit its authorization to only those Indians directly on, in contrast to those 'near,' the reservation, and that, therefore, the BIA's interpretation must fail."