Judge temporarily blocks Trump from closing historic Washington golf course
US federal judge Ana Reyes has barred the government until 28 November from closing East Potomac Golf Links and its park in Washington DC, finding the stated justifications pretextual.
A US federal district judge, Ana Reyes, has temporarily blocked the government from closing East Potomac Golf Links, a historic golf course and park in Washington DC. President Donald Trump had said the site would shut from 15 November for extensive renovation. The judge's order remains in force until 28 November.
In a 30-page ruling issued on Saturday, Reyes said the administration's reasons for the closure were pretextual and that, in pursuing an arbitrary deadline, the government violated at least two federal laws. She wrote that closing the park indefinitely runs counter to the public interest in using national parkland, and that the government had not plausibly identified any harm from an order that preserves the status quo pending further proceedings. She also said the administration is not required to actively manage the park or the course.
Background to the dispute
The legal fight began in February, when the DC Preservation League and others sued over redevelopment plans. The course lies about 2 miles (3km) south of the White House and is one of three public courses run by the National Park Service in the capital.
The dispute escalated in October, when the service began felling hundreds of trees, notifying Reyes only 15 hours before work started. She then barred tree removal until at least 26 October and required three business days' notice of any other permanent changes. Trump nonetheless announced a 15-month closure from 15 November and shared a rendering of the redesign. He called the 106-year-old course "Trash Island" and said the new one would be open to the public yet able to host world-class tournaments. On Truth Social, he described the current course as in very poor condition, with dangerous trees and a collapsing seawall.
Inquiry into government lawyers
Reyes has separately opened an inquiry into whether justice department attorneys made misrepresentations to the court or broke ethical rules. It covers whether the late notice about the plans was given in bad faith and whether lawyers failed to correct false statements or withheld information. She will conduct it with a special master, an independent third party. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
