• Analysis
Virginia DC lawsuit Trump arch: states sue to stop memorial as construction could start next week
Washington DC and Virginia filed federal lawsuits on Saturday seeking to halt Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery, as the administration says construction could begin as early as next week.
The Virginia DC lawsuit against Trump's arch was filed by attorneys general Brian Schwalb of Washington DC and Jay Jones of Virginia, bringing to three the number of legal challenges to the monument and joining a case filed earlier by three Vietnam war veterans and an architectural historian.
Like the original plaintiffs, the two attorneys general are asking for a temporary restraining order to stop any work before the courts rule.
- •They argue that once crews break ground, the damage cannot be undone for both jurisdictions.
- •The original case, brought by the veterans and the historian, is already before a federal judge.
The arch and its site
The proposed structure would rise 250 feet (76 meters) on a patch of grass off the bridge over the Potomac River connecting the city with Arlington National Cemetery - about 100 feet (30 meters) taller than the Statue of Liberty measures from its base to the top of the torch.
On Friday the government submitted a 106-page plan for the project. It describes a building more than 12 stories high topped by a huge bronze statue of Lady Liberty with wings holding a torch with an eternal flame.
- •An observation deck would offer views east and west, alongside an "occupied roof" and two mezzanines.
- •Inside the arch would be rooms for program space, offices, a staff lounge, circular staircases, multiple elevators and a "fire command center".
- •The site sits on an island straddling the Potomac, at the center of a major traffic artery between the District and Virginia, in the capital's monumental core.
What the states say is at risk
The attorneys general argue the three-year construction would inevitably snarl traffic between the two jurisdictions, produce pollution and storm water runoff in the Potomac, and interfere with emergency services.
The suit points to emergency-response concerns in a region where joint operations are the norm, citing a January 2025 midair collision between a US military helicopter and a passenger airliner that killed 67 people.
The plan also proposes significant traffic changes, including rerouting traffic on nearby roads. Administration officials have said the arch will also have a national security function.
What happens next in court
US district judge Tanya Chutkan is weighing an order to halt the project until the original lawsuit is resolved. She held a hearing on Friday but did not immediately act, saying she would move expeditiously.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a recent court filing, the administration said it plans to seek final approval of the project at Thursday's meeting of the Capital National Planning Commission and possibly begin construction the same day.
