Virginia and D.C. sue to halt construction of Trump's proposed arch in Washington

In brief

• Virginia and Washington, D.C. have sued in federal court to stop construction of a triumphal arch planned for Memorial Circle.
• The structure would stand 250 feet (76 meters) tall, and the administration has said building could start on November 5.
• This is the third lawsuit against the project; a judge has yet to rule on whether to pause work.

Lawsuit filed in federal court

Virginia and the District of Columbia filed suit on Saturday in federal court, making a last-ditch attempt to block the arch planned for Memorial Circle (Virginia and D.C. sue to stop proposed Trump arch – NBCNews.com). The two jurisdictions argue that the government has not obtained approval from Congress for the project (USA: Washington D.C. und Virginia klagen gegen Pläne für Trumps Triumphbogen – DER SPIEGEL). The Trump administration has said building could begin as early as November 5 (Virginia and DC sue to stop Trump’s arch as government looks to start construction – The Guardian).

Arguments from the plaintiffs

Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote in their complaint that construction would cause immediate and irreparable harm. The arch would stand on a busy traffic circle on the border between the two jurisdictions, inside a historic viewshed and beside a river whose environment D.C. is required by statute to protect. They also said both the construction and the finished monument would disrupt government operations and force both jurisdictions to spend substantial resources addressing the effects.

Other challenges

The D.C. and Virginia case is the third lawsuit against the project. Arlington County's board had also gone to court against the plan before the new filing.

Size of the monument

The structure would rise 250 feet, or 76 meters, from a patch of grass beside the bridge that crosses the Potomac and links the capital with Arlington National Cemetery. That is roughly 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty measured from its base to the top of its torch. German media note that the arch would be larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which is just under 50 meters high.

What happens next

Judge Chutkan has not yet ruled on whether to halt the project. The timing of any ruling will determine whether work starts on the scheduled date.