Judge Chutkan Issues 14-Day TRO Blocking Trump Memorial Circle Arch

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan late Thursday issued a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from starting any construction-related work on President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, CBS News reported. The Associated Press reported early Friday that the order blocks groundbreaking for 14 days.

Chutkan’s brief order forbids “construction-related activity” for 14 days while further proceedings continue, and she said she will explain her reasoning in a forthcoming opinion, according to CBS News. The temporary restraining order blocks “construction, excavation, demolition, land-disturbance, utility installation, or roadway-closure activity, or any other construction-related activity” at the site, CBS News said. The Washington Post reported that Chutkan halted work on the arch Thursday night after opponents urged her to stop the project.

NCPC’s 8-4 site approval

The ruling came shortly after the National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 Thursday night to approve final site and building plans for the arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, CBS News and the Associated Press reported. The online hearing ran nearly nine hours of public comment from members of Congress, veterans, architects and District of Columbia and Virginia residents before the vote, CBS News said.

The Justice Department told the court last month that work could begin as soon as Thursday once approvals were in hand, CBS News reported. In a Wednesday night filing cited by CBS News, the administration said a construction company “may be — but is not necessarily — arranging off-site preparations for construction mobilization in anticipation of permit approval.” See also NCPC’s Thursday night approval of the arch plans.

Who sought the order

Chutkan sided for now with Vietnam War veterans and with the District of Columbia and Virginia, which sued to stop the project, CBS News reported. Two plaintiffs named in prior hearings covered by CBS News, Vietnam veterans Michael Lemmon and Shaun Byrnes, have said construction would harm their experience visiting graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Opponents argue the administration lacks congressional authorization and has skipped required procedures; the government disputes those claims and has moved to dismiss the veterans’ suit, according to CBS News.

Fourteen-day window

Developing: The temporary restraining order lasts 14 days unless extended; Chutkan has not yet issued her written opinion explaining the order, and no dual-confirmed report shows ground broken on Memorial Circle.

Sources: CBS News, Associated Press, The Washington Post