WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to build a massive triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, casting uncertainty over the project just hours after a key federal planning commission approved it.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Thursday ordered the Trump administration not to begin construction for two weeks while the court examines legal challenges to the project.
The ruling came hours after the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) voted 8-4 to approve the proposed monument, despite strong opposition from veterans, lawmakers and members of the public.
The planned 250-foot (76-metre) structure would be built near Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place of hundreds of thousands of American military personnel.
It would be significantly taller than Paris’s famous Arc de Triomphe and would also tower over the Lincoln Memorial across the Potomac River. Opponents have raised concerns about the project’s legality, funding and purpose.
Four commissioners who voted against approval had called for a delay, arguing that Congress had not appropriated funds for the construction and questioning Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s claims about its military significance.
However, the commission’s majority, which is controlled by Trump allies, rejected calls for a postponement. The administration had indicated that it wanted construction to begin immediately.
Judge Chutkan’s order followed a lawsuit filed by several veterans and the attorneys general of Washington DC and Virginia, who sought to prevent the project from moving forward.
More than 100 people, many representing different organisations, spoke against the proposal during the commission’s proceedings, with opposition overwhelmingly dominating the public testimony.
Congressman Jared Huffman, the leading Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, which oversees public parks, described the proposed monument as an affront to American values and the law.
“This arch would dishonour America, our ideals and our laws,” he said, warning that contractors involved in the project could face legal consequences.
He also urged government officials and companies to reconsider their involvement, suggesting that a new Congress would take a stricter approach to upholding the rule of law.
The Trump administration has argued that Congress authorised the construction of a monument at the proposed location more than a century ago.
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However, critics point out that the original plan envisaged two large columns symbolising the North and South during the American Civil War, rather than a triumphal arch.
The proposed arch is among several ambitious projects through which Trump has sought to leave his mark on the US capital.
Other initiatives, including a White House ballroom, renovations to the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool and redevelopment plans for the historic East Potomac Golf Links, have also faced legal challenges and public opposition.
