Overview
- U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe granted a preliminary injunction on Presidents Day, siding with Philadelphia in its suit against the Interior Department and National Park Service.
- The order requires reinstallation of 34 panels and video elements about nine people enslaved by George Washington, preservation of the materials, and no further alterations without the city’s written agreement.
- The exhibits were removed on Jan. 22 under President Trump’s March 2025 executive order directing agencies to eliminate materials officials deem disparaging of Americans.
- Rufe rejected the government’s claim of unilateral control over park interpretation, invoking Orwell’s 1984 and finding the changes arbitrary and made without the consultation required by law and prior agreements.
- The injunction sets no deadline for reinstallation; the administration may appeal as the APA and contract claims proceed, part of a broader federal review that has also affected sites such as the Grand Canyon and Stonewall.