Judge reinforces order barring immediate work on Trump arch in Washington
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In the courts
- A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide 48 hours' notice before most activity at the proposed triumphal arch site near Arlington National Cemetery.
- The order followed an Interior Department plan to begin excavation despite legal challenges and the absence of final approval from a government planning authority.
- Opponents argue the arch lacks a legal basis and requires congressional approval, while the administration cites a 1925 law.
A federal judge has tightened restrictions on Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, ordering the administration to give 48 hours' notice before carrying out activity at the site.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan's order came a day after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that work would soon begin on the 250-foot, or 76-metre, arch. The project faces legal challenges and does not yet have final approval from a government planning authority.
no legal basis for the construction work
The administration says it plans to dig four test pits at the site on or after September 21 to determine whether underground artifacts or cultural materials are present. It says the excavation will be restored by October 31 and argues that the work does not constitute construction or demolition in preparation for construction.
In a court filing seeking a temporary restraining order, lawyers for three military veterans and an architectural historian said the administration has "no legal basis for the construction work." They argue that the arch violates federal law and requires approval from Congress.
not construction, or demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch
The administration maintains that a 1925 law authorizing a now-defunct commission to build Washington's Arlington Memorial Bridge already provides congressional approval. Project opponents dispute that interpretation.
Chutkan had questioned Trump's authority to build the arch in April. The government then agreed to provide 14 days' notice before construction under a consent order. The Interior Department reiterated that notice plan on Friday, but Chutkan's latest ruling requires at least 48 hours' notice before any activity, with an exception for archaeological work required under the National Historic Preservation Act.
We are pleased to announce that after a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island between the Lincoln
About this summary
Originally published by The Express Tribune. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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