A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing a historic golf course and public park in Washington, D.C., granting a reprieve to users of the property while a legal challenge moves forward.
The ruling halts the closure just as the government began shutting down the site, which the administration had described as a "world class championship" venue in its public statements. The judge found the government's case for closing the park insufficient to proceed without further review, according to court records cited in the case.
The order is temporary, meaning the golf course and surrounding parkland will remain open while the litigation continues. The decision does not resolve the underlying dispute over whether the administration has the legal authority to shutter the property.
Attorneys challenging the closure argued the government had scrambled to assemble legal justification after the fact. "The Government reverse-engineers additional justifications for the Park's closure," said Reyes, an attorney involved in the case, "All while it continues to assert" claims that the challengers say do not hold up to scrutiny.
The property's defenders welcomed the court's intervention. "We are grateful that once again, a court has intervened to prevent irreparable harm caused by the Trump-Vance administration," a representative for the group said in a statement.
The case adds to a growing list of courtroom losses for the administration's efforts to reshape federal assets and public lands, where judges have repeatedly stepped in to pause actions taken without standard review. The golf course, a fixture in the capital for decades, sits on public land and serves both recreational golfers and park visitors.
It was not immediately clear when the next hearing in the case would be held or how long the temporary order would remain in effect. Government attorneys have not said whether they will appeal the ruling.
