D.C. and Virginia sue to stop Trump's 250-foot arch

The proposed triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., stands at a designed height of 76 metres. This measurement places the structure 30 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty. President Donald Trump has championed the project, which he models after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

On Saturday, the District of Columbia and the state of Virginia filed a joint lawsuit to halt construction. Attorneys General Brian Schwalb and Jay Jones described the project as flagrantly unlawful and legally indefensible. The complaint asks a federal court to bar construction before work begins. The lawyers warn that if the project starts, the administration may claim that pausing it later would pose a national security risk.

The White House officials maintain that ground could be broken as early as November 5. On Friday, the administration unveiled a 106-page proposal for a 12-storey megastructure. The design includes a winged bronze statue of Lady Liberty holding an eternal flame. The building features two mezzanines, an observation deck, and a fire command centre. Trump has stated the arch would also serve as a military hub with snipers and drone capabilities.

The lawsuit points to the project's disruptive footprint as a major concern. It warns that a three-year construction period would stymie commuter traffic and slow emergency vehicles. The complaint also cites significant pollution, including stormwater runoff into the Potomac River. Attorneys General Schwalb and Jones stated that breaking ground would inflict irreparable harm on both jurisdictions.

This legal action is the third lawsuit against the arch. Arlington County filed the first governmental challenge on October 8. Its governing board argued the project would cause significant harm to residents and likely require changes to nearby flight paths. The initial complaint came in February from a group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian. They feared the arch would block views of Arlington National Cemetery.

District Judge Tanya Chutkan is overseeing the February case. She is weighing whether to issue a preliminary injunction to freeze construction plans. At a hearing on Friday, Chutkan deferred an immediate ruling but signalled she would issue a decision expeditiously. She previously ordered the administration to give the court 48 hours' notice before undertaking any construction-related activities.

The lawsuit calls on the court to force the Trump administration to get congressional authorisation before any construction begins. The complaint notes that the defendants have rushed to remake the district in the past. It argues that the court should not allow this effort to escape judicial scrutiny. The monument has already received early approval from the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump.

Construction would result in major traffic changes, including rerouting vehicles to nearby roads. The arch is designed to stand in the Memorial Circle. The structure would include panoramic east-west views from its observation deck. The administration's 106-page proposal details the office and programme spaces within the building.