US judge reinforces order barring immediate work on Trump arch

The US District Court judge Tanya Chutkan has mandated the Trump administration to provide a 48-hour notice before initiating any work on the site of a triumphal arch that the administration intends to construct near Arlington National Cemetery. This ruling came the day after the US Interior Department announced plans to commence work on the 76-meter arch despite legal challenges and the lack of final approval from the government planning authority.

The administration contends that a 1925 law authorizing a defunct commission to build Washington's Arlington Memorial Bridge provides them with congressional approval for the arch, a claim disputed by opponents who argue that the project violates federal law and necessitates Congressional approval. Despite the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's announcement of starting excavation work on September 21, the government maintains that the planned test pits excavation is not construction or demolition preparatory to the arch's construction.