Overview
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who issued the order Tuesday, halted construction and wrote that the president is custodian of the White House, not its owner.
- He stayed the injunction for 14 days, allowed only security-related work, and warned that anything built now may later have to be removed.
- The plan calls for a roughly $400 million, privately funded ballroom of about 90,000 square feet to replace part of the East Wing, with donations reported from Amazon, Google and Trump.
- The dispute began with a December 2025 lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, even as the Commission of Fine Arts granted approval on February 19.
- The administration is expected to appeal, and the National Capital Planning Commission still plans a Thursday vote, though court findings suggest agency approvals may not satisfy the need for clear congressional authorization.