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Judge Chutkan Weighs Trump’s Arlington Arch Block

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

District Judge Tanya Chutkan is weighing a block of President Donald Trump’s 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
The Justice Department cites national-security reasons, attaching declarations from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Veterans argue the arch lacks congressional approval and would block the Lincoln Memorial-Arlington sightline.
Plaintiffs seek an injunction before a possible Nov. 5 start, alleging the Justice Department lacks standing.

History

Before the 1960s the United States lacked a federal preservation policy; the 1906 Antiquities Act and 1935 Historic Sites Act laid groundwork. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Historic Preservation Act on October 15 1966, creating Advisory Council and a Section 106 review that protects 100,000 listed sites. Judge Tanya Chutkan’s review of Donald Trump’s proposed Arlington arch, opposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, tests that legacy.

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Before the 1960s the United States lacked a federal preservation policy; the 1906 Antiquities Act and 1935 Historic Sites Act laid groundwork. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Historic Preservation Act on October 15 1966, creating Advisory Council and a Section 106 review that protects 100,000 listed sites. Judge Tanya Chutkan’s review of Donald Trump’s proposed Arlington arch, opposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, tests that legacy.

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