U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan late Thursday issued a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from beginning construction on the planned 250-foot "Triumphal Arch" in Washington for 14 days. The order, which prohibits the administration from "initiating, making, or otherwise effectuating any construction, excavation" or related steps, came within an hour of the National Capital Planning Commission's 8-4 vote to approve final site and building plans. The four dissenting votes came from commissioners who were not appointed by President Trump.

In a 33-page ruling, Chutkan wrote that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in showing the federal government did not follow required legal processes before moving to build the arch. She found that the District of Columbia and Virginia, which sued over the project along with a group of Vietnam veterans, likely have standing because of "tangible economic harms" tied to traffic problems at the construction site. Chutkan wrote that "the harm is certain," noting the administration had said it was ready to begin work almost immediately after approval. The Justice Department said in a court filing last month that construction could start as soon as Thursday, and a separate filing Wednesday said a construction company "may be" arranging off-site preparations.

The commission acted after a hearing in which public comment lasted more than nine hours, with close to 130 people signed up to speak. The virtual meeting was interrupted for about 30 minutes by what commission Chair Mark Paoletta described as a "malicious attack" that crashed the site. Paoletta, general counsel at the Office of Management and Budget and chairman of the commission since August, called it a "national disgrace" that such a memorial had not been built and said it would be "the grandest arch ever built by mankind." He and other commissioners said the project fulfills a 100-year plan for a monumental work on Columbia Island and would give Arlington National Cemetery a "monumental gateway."

Opponents focused on the arch's effect on Arlington National Cemetery, as well as its height, scale and safety. Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said the project is "illegal" and argued that Congress is the appropriate body to debate such a monument. Marine veteran Jimi Shaughnessy criticized the prospect of a "carnival-like atmosphere of tourists, food trucks and buses." Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., whose district includes the cemetery, praised the ruling but said courts and Congress must put in place permanent safeguards. Veteran Anne Wright told the BBC she would try to stop construction, saying protesters would "tie ourselves to the bulldozer."

The arch, nicknamed the "Arc de Trump," is intended to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and is part of Trump's broader effort to reshape the capital. Renderings show a golden, winged Lady Liberty atop the structure, flanked by two gold eagles, with the phrases "One Nation Under God" and "Liberty and Justice for All" inscribed on its sides. The administration has also said the arch would double as a complex for storing military equipment, with the ability to deploy snipers and drones. The Department of the Interior and National Park Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment. With multiple lawsuits pending, it remains unclear when, or whether, construction will begin once the 14-day restraining order expires.