Appeals court allows White House ballroom construction to continue for now

A three-judge appeals court panel is allowing construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom to continue — for now.

In a decision late Friday, the panel granted an administrative stay of an earlier injunction blocking above-ground construction of the White House ballroom. 

Last month, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that Trump can’t build the planned ballroom without authorization from Congress, prompting the White House to appeal the decision.

Leon revised his ruling this week — after the appeals court ruled that he needed to clarify his order —  to say that security-related work could go on, particularly below ground.

The White House appealed Thursday’s order and three-judge appeals panel granted a stay of Leon’s order to give the judges time to consider the White House’s emergency motion for a broader, more lasting stay of Leon’s injunction.

“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion,” the panel wrote in the order.

It’s unclear how long this administrative stay might remain in place. The appeals court has set oral arguments on the matter for June 5.

The White House announced the construction of the 90,000-square foot ballroom in late July, and demolition began suddenly on the East Wing in late October when workers were spotted tearing down the wing of the White House.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December seeking to stop the ballroom construction until the project completes the standard federal review process and the administration seeks public comment on the proposed changes to the White House.