Overview
- Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe called the Justice Department’s claim that the government can choose the message it conveys at parks “dangerous” and “horrifying.”
- Rufe will visit the President’s House site and the storage facility to examine the removed panels and asked the government to preserve the status quo as she prepares a swift decision.
- The National Park Service took down multiple panels on Jan. 22 at the direction of Acting Director Jessica Bowron, and the materials are now stored at the National Constitution Center.
- Justice Department lawyers argued NPS authority and government-speech principles under the president’s executive order, while Philadelphia pressed Administrative Procedure Act and contract claims and was permitted to amend its filings.
- Philadelphia continues to seek restoration of the panels, advocates and Pennsylvania officials filed supporting briefs, and the court has not issued an injunction as of Friday’s hearing.