Federal Judge Extends Injunction on East Potomac Park Renovations
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U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction halting further tree removal and requiring advance notice for any irreversible changes to the East Potomac Park golf course, pending litigation. The ruling temporarily blocks a Trump-backed redevelopment plan while the dispute works through the courts.
A federal judge has extended a preliminary injunction that bars the Trump administration from cutting down, pruning, or otherwise damaging trees at East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., and requires at least ten business days’ written notice before any irreversible modifications are made. The order follows a dispute over the administration’s plan to redevelop the municipal golf course into a championship-level venue, a project the government says is aimed at improving a public facility.
Judge Ana Reyes, in a 70-page opinion, noted that the Department of Justice had urged the court not to rely on the president’s statements, and she emphasized that the injunction does not resolve the case but preserves the status quo while the parties litigate. The decision keeps the matter in court while questions about process and authority are examined.
The ruling was welcomed by the D.C. Preservation League and local golfers who sued earlier this year. > "We are grateful the court intervened to stop the Trump-Vance administration's actions while the case continues, and we are eager to argue the case in court," said Skye Perryman, president of the nonprofit Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs.
President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social that the Department of the Interior will appeal the decision and reiterated his plan to begin construction on Nov. 15, with the park closed for 15 months. He also asserted that the judge lacks authority to delay the project, reflecting the administration’s view that the renovation should move forward without unnecessary obstruction.
Reyes ordered the government to clarify within 24 hours whether a plan exists to close the course in mid-November and how that aligns with earlier statements to the court. A status hearing is slated for later this week.
The case centers on whether the administration misled the court about the existence of a finalized renovation plan, known as the "Washington National Plan," and whether the tree-clearing and other actions complied with federal environmental and historic preservation statutes. The judge criticized the administration’s justification for the tree removal as pretextual and highlighted inconsistencies between the president’s public statements and testimony from Interior Department officials.
The injunction remains in effect while the litigation proceeds, and the administration’s appeal is expected to address the court’s findings on procedural compliance and the need for environmental review.