Judge Halts Trump Arch Construction After Late-Night Approval
A 33-page ruling from Judge Tanya Chutkan stops work on the 250-foot monument in D.C. for 14 days, citing traffic and legal concerns.
By Grace Sullivan ·
A federal judge issued an order on Friday morning that immediately stopped construction on President Trump’s proposed arch. The 14-day halt comes just before midnight on Thursday, after District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan granted a request from the governments of D.C. and Virginia. Her ruling bars the government from performing any construction work during this period.
The structure would stand 250 feet tall in Memorial Circle, a traffic island on the bridge connecting the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery. Administration officials stated that work would occur 20 hours a day, seven days a week, for two to three years. Chutkan’s 33-page opinion focused on the administration’s shifting justifications for the project, particularly its recent emphasis on national security. She agreed that the local governments would likely suffer harm from the construction.
The legal action follows a contentious vote by the National Capital Planning Commission. Commissioners, many of whom are presidential allies, approved the arch by an 8-4 vote. That decision came after nearly nine hours of public testimony, during which 131 people registered to speak. The hearing began at 1 p.m. and was held virtually due to the high volume of comments. A technical failure crashed the livestream early in the session, delaying the process by about an hour.
Critics argued the arch would block a key view, insult service members buried at Arlington, and complicate D.C. airspace. Supporters, including Republican Representatives Andrew Clyde and Brian Mast, defended the project as a tribute. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson introduced a motion to postpone the vote until early December to allow for final site plans. The motion failed 8-4. Vice Chair Stuart Levenbach noted that the project proponent wanted a decision that day to begin building quickly.
The administration had told the court it could begin excavation immediately after approval, despite lacking explicit Congressional authorization. A group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian filed a lawsuit earlier this year, arguing the arch is unlawful without Congress. D.C. and Virginia joined the challenge last weekend. Chutkan consolidated the cases and asked the government to notify the court within one hour of the commission’s vote.
Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, said the ruling prevents the president from immediately implementing his plans. He noted that courts and Congress must create permanent safeguards. Brent Leggs, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, called the commission’s vote a sham. He said the process undermined democracy and insulted veterans. Jimi Shaughnessy of the National Parks Conservation Association said the group is disappointed but not surprised. He vowed to bring the issue to members of Congress to ensure the arch is never built.
Rep. Jared Huffman, the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, warned officials and firms involved in the project face legal risks. He argued the project violates federal environmental and historic preservation laws. He said a new Congress will take the rule of law seriously. Beyer introduced a bill to prohibit and defund the arch. He expects co-sponsors to grow from 80 to at least 200 in the new year.
