Judge Reyes Blocks East Potomac Golf Course Changes Pending Lawsuit

At least 400 trees were cut down over a recent holiday weekend, a move that prompted U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to issue a new preliminary injunction. The order temporarily bars the Trump administration from removing or damaging any additional vegetation on the East Potomac Golf Course.

The court ruling requires the government to submit ten days' written notice before making any "irreparable modification" to the site's forms or features while the lawsuit remains active. Reyes, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, emphasized that the decision rests on legal procedure rather than environmental advocacy. "I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees," she wrote. "The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law."

The legal dispute began on Oct. 18 when President Donald Trump announced on social media that the 106-year-old public course would close for 15 months starting Nov. 15 for redevelopment. The D.C. Preservation League and two golfers filed a challenge to the plan the same day. On Oct. 19, the president posted that work would begin immediately. Reyes had previously ordered a suspension of the project until Oct. 26.

During a recent hearing, the judge criticized the government for lacking sufficient transparency. She expressed astonishment that the administration argued for her to disregard the president's public statements in favor of other evidence. "This started as a case about golf. That good walk spoiled," Reyes wrote. "But it has become much more. It now forces the Court to reconcile assertions by President Donald J. Trump with the sworn testimony of multiple government employees and the argument of senior Department of Justice attorneys."

The plaintiffs argue that the renovation work is causing irreversible damage to the historic park. The government questioned the judge's impartiality during an emergency hearing, accusing her of engaging in "egregious" behavior. Reyes rejected their request for her to recuse herself from the case.

This renovation is one component of a wider effort by the administration to modify Washington’s historic sites. The president has also proposed a large ballroom at the White House, a massive arch, and the addition of his name to the Kennedy Center. The next scheduled step in this legal process involves the administration’s compliance with the new notice requirement before further physical changes occur.

The injunction remains in effect as the court reviews the conflicting testimonies and the scope of the proposed redevelopment.