WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal appeals court has ordered the Trump administration to halt above-ground construction of a planned $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that the project cannot proceed without approval from Congress.
The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday upheld a preliminary injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged President Donald Trump's authority to substantially alter the White House complex without congressional authorization.
The court said the White House is a national landmark and that a president's control over the executive residence does not give him ownership or unrestricted authority to undertake major structural changes.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the majority wrote, according to the ruling.
The proposed facility, planned for the site of the demolished East Wing, would cover about 90,000 square feet. The administration has described the project as necessary to provide space for large events and has highlighted security-related features, including facilities intended to protect the president and other officials.
Trump has defended the project and said he would appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. He has argued that the facility serves national security purposes and criticized the appeals court's decision as politically motivated.
The administration has maintained that the ballroom is being financed with private donations. Congress previously rejected an administration request for $1 billion for the project, while Democrats have questioned the use of federal resources connected to security work at the site.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation welcomed the ruling. Brent Leggs, the organization's president and chief executive, said the decision affirmed that Congress has authority over construction at the White House.
The ruling does not permanently determine whether the ballroom can ever be built. The appeals court has delayed enforcement of its order for 14 days, giving the administration time to seek Supreme Court review. Underground work related to White House security may continue under the court's order.
The case follows months of litigation after the administration demolished the East Wing and began work on the ballroom without first obtaining congressional authorization. The Supreme Court could now be asked to decide whether the project may proceed while the broader legal dispute continues.
