The Trump administration urged a federal judge not to block construction of the White House ballroom, arguing that stopping the project midstream would create security risks at the executive mansion and force an emergency appeal.
In a late-day filing on Monday, the Justice Department asked U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to stay any injunction he might issue against the East Wing modernization and ballroom project, warning that a halt would disrupt Secret Service operations and leave an exposed excavation site in President’s Park. The government said the project is “imperative for reasons of national security” and cannot be safely paused in part.
The stay request follows Leon’s recent expression of skepticism toward the administration’s argument that the president may construct the ballroom using private donations without explicit congressional authorization. During oral arguments last month, Leon likened the legal framework offered by government lawyers to a “Rube Goldberg contraption” and said he anticipated the losing party would appeal.
Expecting that outcome, the DOJ told Leon it would immediately seek appellate review if construction is paused and urged him to delay enforcement while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit considers the case. Suspending a major construction project tied to security operations, the filing argues, would create unnecessary risk and procedural chaos.
The DOJ again leaned heavily on declarations from the Secret Service, which has warned that the partially demolished East Wing and underground work already complicate protective measures. A senior Secret Service official previously said the open construction site is “in and of itself, a hazard,” and the administration said it will submit an additional classified declaration detailing why a pause would endanger national security and undermine the public interest.
The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the administration violated a 1912 statute barring federal construction without congressional approval and failed to properly involve Congress and federal planning agencies.
TRUMP DOJ ARGUES ‘EYESORE’ OF WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION NOT A VALID REASON TO SUE
The administration maintains that the case raises novel constitutional questions, including whether the statute applies to the president.
Leon previously declined to issue a temporary restraining order after the East Wing’s demolition and said he would rule on a preliminary injunction in February. Whatever the outcome, the administration has made clear its intention to appeal if construction is halted.
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