Washington, D.C., and Virginia sued President Donald Trump's administration Saturday, October 31, 2026, seeking an emergency court order to stop construction of his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, with work potentially beginning November 5.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones accuse federal officials of advancing the monument without congressional authorization or required environmental and historic preservation reviews. Their lawsuit warns that three years of construction would disrupt traffic, interfere with emergency services and damage surrounding waterways.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan consolidated the new lawsuit with an earlier challenge brought by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian. A day earlier, she questioned the administration's urgency to begin construction before the court decides whether the project is lawful.
The arch would stand at Memorial Circle, where Arlington Memorial Bridge connects Washington to Virginia. Federal plans submitted Friday call for a winged Lady Liberty statue, an observation deck, offices, elevators and a fire command center, along with changes to surrounding roads.
Trump has promoted the monument as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. The proposed structure would rise approximately 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty itself and occupy a prominent location along the historic corridor between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
Schwalb and Jones argue that road closures, construction equipment and altered traffic patterns would affect thousands of commuters traveling between Virginia and Washington. Their complaint also warns that the work could complicate emergency evacuations and increase pollution and stormwater runoff into the Potomac River.
The complaint alleges violations of the Commemorative Works Act, which governs memorial construction on certain federal lands, and the Height of Buildings Act, which limits building heights in Washington. The governments also accuse officials of bypassing required environmental and historic preservation reviews.
The administration maintains that a 1925 law authorizing work associated with Arlington Memorial Bridge provides authority for the monument. Federal officials have also defended the project as a national landmark with potential security functions.
Arlington County filed a separate lawsuit on October 8 challenging the project's environmental review. Three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian brought an earlier challenge over congressional authorization and the monument's effect on historic views.
At Friday's hearing, Chutkan examined whether the veterans and historian had standing to sue, a requirement that people bringing a lawsuit show a sufficient connection to the alleged harm. The administration has argued that their concerns about the monument do not establish grounds for federal court intervention.
Schwalb and Jones argue that their governments face direct harm because construction would affect roads, emergency services and environmental resources. Chutkan has ordered a joint briefing on the challenges as she considers whether to temporarily stop construction.
The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to consider final approval on November 5, when the administration has said construction could begin. Chutkan is weighing an emergency order that could stop work before crews break ground.
