Judge Chutkan Halts Trump's D.C. Arch After Commission Vote
A federal court order stops construction for 14 days, reversing an 8-4 approval by the National Capital Planning Commission.
By Priya Marino ·
D.C. District Court Judge Tonya S. Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order late Thursday, stopping the Trump administration from beginning construction on a proposed 250-foot arch in Washington. This judicial intervention came hours after the National Capital Planning Commission voted to grant final approval for the project.
The court order halts all construction efforts for a minimum of 14 days. Chutkan also consolidated this case with a separate lawsuit filed by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian. The plaintiffs argue that the administration violated federal law by failing to secure specific congressional authorization for the new structure.
The commission, which is led by Trump appointees, approved the arch by a vote of 8-4. The decision followed a lengthy session of public testimony involving 130 registered speakers. Among the most vocal opponents was Michael Lemmon, a veteran who served in the Army and later in the foreign service. Lemmon told the panel that the arch would profoundly disturb the peace owed to those buried at nearby Arlington National Cemetery.
"It is frankly blasphemous," Lemmon stated during his testimony. He argued that the massive structure would visually dominate the landscape near the cemetery. The proposed arch would stand more than twice as tall as the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial. It would also exceed the height of France's Arc de Triomphe, placing it as one of the tallest structures in the capital's skyline.
Tensions rose during the session between Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, and commission chair Mark Paoletta. Huffman criticized the design, saying it would dishonor America's ideals and laws. Paoletta countered that the project was authorized over a century ago when Congress approved the initial plan for Memorial Bridge. Huffman dismissed this historical argument, telling Paoletta to make that case in federal court.
Paoletta, who also serves as general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, defended the project as a completion of a century-old vision. He described the arch as a sacred gateway for Arlington National Cemetery. Paoletta also pointed to President Trump's plan to house drones, snipers, and ammunition within the structure, calling it a generational security opportunity for the capital.
Before the vote, the Justice Department informed the court that a construction contractor had prematurely painted lines on the grounds. The administration stated that the contractor did not have authorization from the National Park Service to undertake this work. NPS officials plan to visit the site periodically to prevent unauthorized activity. The Park Service intends to conduct construction 20 hours a day over the next two to three years, according to planning documents released by the Interior Department earlier this year.
