Virginia and D.C. sue to block Trump’s planned memorial arch

Virginia and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration Saturday to stop construction of a 250-foot memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery, arguing that work expected to begin as soon as Nov. 5 would cause immediate harm to both jurisdictions.

The federal lawsuit is the third seeking to halt the project, CBS News reported. It asks for a temporary restraining order before crews break ground at Memorial Circle, near the Potomac River crossing between Washington and Virginia.

“The construction of the Arch will inflict immediate and irreparable harm on the District and Virginia,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote. They said the site lies on a busy traffic route between the jurisdictions, within a historic view corridor and beside a river the District has a legal responsibility to protect.

The attorneys general said the three-year construction project would snarl traffic, produce pollution and stormwater runoff, and interfere with emergency services. The completed monument would also disrupt government operations and require both jurisdictions to spend resources addressing its effects, they argued. According to CBS News, the lawsuit cites concern about joint emergency responses, including the response to a January 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people.

Jones and Schwalb allege the administration is violating the Commemorative Works Act by proceeding without specific congressional authorization and the Height of Buildings Act because the arch would exceed 130 feet. They also allege violations of federal environmental and historic preservation laws.

Another case, brought by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian, is before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. After a hearing Friday, Chutkan did not immediately order a halt to the project but said she would act expeditiously, CBS News reported.

The National Capital Planning Commission, led by Trump appointees, has approved initial plans and is scheduled to vote on final plans Nov. 5. The administration has said construction could begin that day. CBS News reported that a 106-page plan submitted Friday calls for an observation deck, an occupied roof, mezzanines, elevators, offices and a fire command center, along with changes to nearby roads. At 250 feet, the arch would stand 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty measured from its base to the top of its torch, CBS News reported.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the arch would be a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery and a reminder of Americans’ sacrifices. “President Trump will continue to honor our veterans,” he said. Ingle did not address a direct question from NBC News about Saturday’s lawsuit.

Trump has said the arch would also have a national security function, describing space for drones and snipers. Final plans submitted to the planning commission do not include those proposed military features, NBC News reported.