Worcester v. Georgia

[Keith Broaders]

The Supreme Court, in Worcester v. Georgia (1832), ruled that the Cherokee Nation was a sovereign entity and that Georgia state laws had no power within its territory, effectively declaring Georgia's actions under the Indian Removal Act unconstitutional, but President Andrew Jackson famously ignored the ruling, leading to the forced removal (Trail of Tears) anyway. The Court acknowledged tribes as "domestic dependent nations" with rights to self-government, but President Jackson defied the decision, asserting the federal government's authority to remove them despite the Court's stance. 

The Supreme Court has the power to  issue opinions, but lacks the power to enforce its decisions. The power to enorce its decisons is vested in the President.