Judge Halts Trump Arch Construction
A federal ruling pauses the groundbreaking for the memorial arch pending further review by the court.
By Samuel Hayes ·
A federal judge issued an order late Thursday to stop the Trump administration from breaking ground on a large memorial arch. The temporary block lasts for 14 days. The ruling comes after the National Capital Planning Commission approved the project despite hours of testimony from opponents.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote that the states of Virginia and the District of Columbia demonstrated that immediate construction would cause real harm to the plaintiffs. The judge’s decision prevents the start of physical work on the structure while the legal dispute proceeds.
The arch is part of a larger effort to build a towering memorial. The planning commission had cleared the project for construction following a review process. The commission’s approval stood until the court intervened with the temporary restraining order.
Separately, a new survey of federal employees reveals that many career civil servants who left the government felt coerced into their departure. Most of these separations were officially classified as voluntary. The survey found that the politicization of an employee’s work or agency was the primary reason respondents cited for leaving their positions.
In Alexandria, a 65-year-old man was charged with robbery and using a firearm during a felony. He turned himself in after confessing to a robbery that occurred on Nov. 4 in Hybla Valley. Officers responded to the 7700 block of Richmond Highway at 12:48 p.m. after the man allegedly demanded money from a teller using a threatening note.
The City of Alexandria is currently asking residents if it should continue operating the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center. The facility has been in use for nearly 200 years. A public survey regarding the jail’s future remains open online until Nov. 20.
A former resident of Reston received a 25-year federal prison sentence on Tuesday. He was convicted of using Snapchat to sexually exploit two 12-year-old girls in Southwest Virginia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia confirmed the sentencing.
