# Judge blocks Trump arch hours after panel approval

> A federal judge halted construction of President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery just hours after a federal panel voted to approve it.
- Title: Judge blocks Trump arch hours after panel approval · ABC News
- Summary: A federal judge halted construction of President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery just hours after a federal panel voted to…
- Keywords: trump administration, arch construction, arlington national cemetery, federal judge tonya chutkan, national capital planning commission, michael lemmon, temporary restraining order, washington dc, vietnam war veterans, legal challenge, ABC News
- Source: ABC News — https://abcnews.com/Politics/vietnam-vet-leading-opposition-trumps-arch-calls-frankly/story?id=137885182
- Author: ABC News
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: trump administration, arch construction, arlington national cemetery, federal judge tonya chutkan, national capital planning commission, michael lemmon, temporary restraining order, washington dc, vietnam war veterans, legal challenge, news
## Panel approves Trump's arch
The National Capital Planning Commission voted eight to four to approve President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday night.
## Judge blocks it hours later
D.C. District Court Judge Tonya S. Chutkan granted a temporary restraining order late Thursday, halting construction for at least fourteen days after D.C. and Virginia governments requested it.
## Judge consolidates lawsuits
Judge Chutkan consolidated the case with a separate lawsuit filed by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian challenging the project.
## Veteran calls arch blasphemous
Michael Lemmon, an Army veteran and former foreign service officer, told the commission the arch would profoundly disturb the peace owed to those buried at nearby Arlington.

> It is frankly blasphemous.
## Lemmon leads opposition
Lemmon was one of approximately 130 people who signed up to provide comments to the National Capital Planning Commission before its final vote on the project.
## Arch dwarfs Lincoln Memorial
The proposed arch would be more than twice as tall as the ninety-nine-foot-high Lincoln Memorial and taller than France's Arc de Triomphe.
## Huffman challenges the project
Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, blasted the arch, saying it would dishonor America, its ideals and its laws.

> would dishonor America, our ideals and our laws.
## Paoletta defends century-old plan
NCPC Chair Mark Paoletta, a Trump appointee, said the arch completes a project authorized over one hundred years ago when Congress approved the initial plan for Memorial Bridge.
## Paoletta cites security benefits
Paoletta said the arch would honor the nation and veterans while providing a monumental gateway to Arlington and marking a generational security opportunity for the capital.
## Arch would house military equipment
According to Paoletta, President Trump's plan includes housing drones, snipers and ammunition inside the arch as part of its security function.
## Lawsuit claims legal violation
A lawsuit filed by Lemmon and fellow veterans, recently joined by D.C. and Virginia, accuses the Trump administration of violating federal law by not seeking specific congressional authorization.
## Contractor painted site prematurely
The Justice Department informed the court that a construction contractor had prematurely painted lines on the grounds without authorization from the National Park Service.
## Judge requires advance notice
The judge ordered the administration to provide the court with at least thirty minutes' notice before any construction work begins on the project.
## Park Service plans intensive work
The National Park Service plans to construct the arch twenty hours per day over the next two to three years, according to planning documents released by the Interior Department.
## Key takeaway

A judge blocked Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery hours after federal approval, granting a temporary restraining order that halts construction for at least 14 days.