Vietnam Veterans Seek Order to Halt 4 Test Pits for Trump's 250-Foot Arch

3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 4

A veterans group asked Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday for a temporary restraining order to stop excavation tied to Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said work would start within two weeks.
The motion says the administration lacks congressional authorization, has not given the 14 days' notice Chutkan required in April, and could repeat the White House East Wing scenario by creating a fait accompli before the court rules.
Justice Department lawyers countered that the planned work is not construction but an archaeological survey of four test pits, starting no earlier than Sept. 21 and running through October, to inform compliance and planning.
That defense also notes the National Capital Planning Commission has not issued final approval for the arch; the administration says it will provide 14 days' notice if a final agency action authorizing construction is issued.
The dispute folds into a broader fight over standing and authority for Trump’s Washington projects, with both sides citing the Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing White House ballroom construction to continue.