Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration's closure of East Potomac Park golf course
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued an order halting the planned shutdown of East Potomac Park and its golf course in Washington, D.C., pending further review.
A federal judge on Saturday issued a temporary injunction that prevents the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Park and its historic golf course in Washington, D.C. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the closure scheduled for Nov. 15 cannot proceed, though the administration is not required to actively manage the facilities during the pause.
The decision follows a lawsuit brought by a D.C. preservation group and two local golfers who argued that the shutdown was intended to enable a redesign of the course by architect Tom Fazio. Reyes described the administration's justifications as pretextual, stating that the government "reverse-engineers additional justifications for the Park's closure… All while it continues to assert that it will close the Park to follow the President's directive."
"We are grateful that once again, a court has intervened to prevent irreparable harm caused by the Trump-Vance administration's pursuit of another one of the president's vanity projects," said Catherine Carroll, senior legal adviser at Democracy Forward.
"The Court has acknowledged that the National Park Service can limit access to its facilities where the public is at risk of harm," a Department of Justice spokesperson told CBS News. "Nothing in the Court's order precludes planning for the development of a world class golf course to continue. The Department of Justice will always vociferously defend the Trump Administration's agenda in court."
The order remains in effect until Nov. 28. Earlier, the National Park Service had begun removing trees on the course, prompting Reyes to bar further tree removal and require notice of any future actions.
President Trump announced that the course would close on Nov. 15 to begin work on the new design, with the renovated "world-class, championship" facility expected to open in about 15 months. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward told the court he would be surprised to learn of any contract with Fazio or related entities.
The administration cited a deteriorating sea wall, safety concerns, and the impending end of the National Links Trust's operation as reasons for the closure. The National Park Service has not yet finalized a plan to repair the sea wall, which is projected to cost over $300 million and take at least two and a half years.
Reyes also opened an inquiry into whether senior officials in the Interior, Justice, and National Park Service misrepresented facts in court filings, proposing to appoint former U.S. attorney Jessie Liu to lead the probe. The Justice Department has opposed the appointment of a special master.