The Supreme Court has temporarily allowed above-ground construction of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom to continue, halting a lower court's injunction. Chief Justice John Roberts issued an administrative stay on Friday, placing the injunction on hold "pending further order" from himself or the full court.
This action pauses the legal battle over the project, allowing construction to proceed for the time being. A federal appeals court mandate that would have blocked construction was scheduled to take effect on Friday.
The Trump administration had requested the Supreme Court's intervention, arguing that halting construction would pose risks to national security and the safety of the president and other officials. In its emergency application, the administration described the project as an "integrated military complex" crucial for protecting the president, his family, White House staff, and visiting foreign leaders. The administration also cited assassination attempts against Trump in its argument for enhanced security measures.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is seeking to block the project, opposed the administration's request. The group contended that Congress holds authority over federal property and had not authorized the ballroom project. They also accused the administration of accelerating construction to bypass judicial review, noting that a crew had been working around the clock.
The legal dispute reached the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court issued a divided ruling stating that Congress had not authorized the ballroom. That ruling would have stopped above-ground construction but permitted underground work related to security features.
Roberts' order does not resolve the underlying dispute but rather suspends the injunction while the Supreme Court considers the matter further.