May 30, 2026 - On Thursday, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks released the following urging Circuit Court to block construction of President Trump’s Ballroom.
Related: Democrat Congressmembers File Amicus Brief to Block President Trump’s ‘Illegal’ Ballroom
Coalition Joins American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, Association for Preservation Technology, Committee of 100 on the Federal City, Cultural Landscape Foundation, DC Preservation League, National Mall Coalition, National Preservation Partners Network, Olmsted Network And Society of Architectural Historians In Filing A Friend Of The Court Brief
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks joined ten other national and local nonprofit organizations devoted to architecture, landscape, historic preservation and planning in filing an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief supporting the National Trust for Historic Preservation in its lawsuit over the proposed White House Ballroom. The litigation challenges the Trump Administration’s demolition of the White House East Wing and ongoing construction of a massive new ballroom structure on the historic White House grounds, a designated National Park.
A preliminary injunction granted to the National Trust by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon on March 31, 2026, has been stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit pending an appeal by the Trump Administration. A hearing before a panel of the Circuit Court is scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2026.
Following the court filing, Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, released the following statement:
“The White House is a National Historic Landmark, a structure of the highest historic significance to the nation. The White House, together with its surrounding landscape, is also a designated National Park. While changes have been made to the White House over time, each president, as the temporary steward, must follow the law and appropriate preservation standards developed for this iconic American historic site. The Trump Administration has failed to do so.”
“As an organization representing retirees of a federal agency with over a century of stewarding large public projects on public lands, we joined this brief because we support a deliberate and thoughtful approach to the development of projects that will last for the next 100 years – and we will continue to work to ensure any construction at the White House adheres to the law.”
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks represents over 5,000 current, former, and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service, with over 50,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources. Recognized as the Voices of Experience, the Coalition educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation and protection of the National Park System, and mission-related programs of the National Park Service. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org
Source: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks