US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a two-week temporary restraining order late Thursday that blocked the Trump administration from starting any construction on President Donald Trump’s planned triumphal arch.
The order prohibited excavation, demolition, utility work, road closures and other construction activity at the site while lawsuits proceed. The National Capital Planning Commission had approved the final plans earlier that evening by an 8-4 vote after more than nine hours of public comment.
The 250-foot arch was proposed for Memorial Circle, a traffic island between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Trump officials described it as a tribute to American history and veterans that would mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Opponents, including local officials and veterans groups, argued the structure would obstruct views of the cemetery and create lasting disruption. The District of Columbia and Virginia filed a joint lawsuit seeking the halt. They said construction would cause traffic chaos, economic harm and environmental effects along the Potomac River.
A separate case brought by Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian was consolidated with that suit.
In her written opinion, Tanya Chutkan found that the plaintiffs showed a likelihood of success on the merits and faced certain irreparable harm. She noted the administration had indicated work could begin almost immediately after the commission vote.
“The court appreciates the government’s significant interest in national security. But these recent and unsupported attestations of security aspects of a structure that has been extensively discussed over the last year appear nowhere in the planning documents on which the project was reviewed and approved,” Chutkan wrote.
She also pointed to the Commemorative Works Act, which requires congressional authorization for new monuments on federal park land in the capital. The judge stated the administration had not followed those procedures.
Virginia Representative Don Beyer, who had testified against the project, welcomed the decision. He said it must be followed by a more permanent block to protect Arlington National Cemetery.
The temporary order preserves the status quo for 14 days as the court continues to examine the challenges. The project timeline had called for multi-year construction if it moved forward.
