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Chief Justice John Roberts granted a temporary administrative stay Friday that permits ongoing above-ground construction of a new ballroom complex at the White House, suspending a lower court order that would have halted the work. Roberts’ decision came in response to an emergency request from the Trump administration and maintains the status quo pending further review by the full Supreme Court or additional action from Roberts himself.
The stay halts enforcement of a preliminary injunction issued April 16 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A federal appeals court mandate blocking construction had been scheduled to take effect Friday, but Roberts’ intervention prevents that enforcement action from proceeding at this time.
The Trump administration argued in its emergency petition that construction must continue due to national security and presidential safety concerns, characterizing the ballroom project as an “integrated military complex” designed to protect the president, his family, White House staff and foreign dignitaries. Officials cited recent assassination attempts against Trump in support of enhanced security infrastructure being incorporated into the design.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the primary party challenging the project through litigation, opposed the administration’s request and contended that Congress retains authority over federal property decisions. The preservation group alleged that the administration accelerated construction while litigation was ongoing, with a 250-person crew working around the clock to advance the project.
A divided federal appeals court previously ruled that Congress had not authorized the ballroom project, a determination that would have blocked above-ground work while permitting underground security-related construction to proceed. Roberts’ order leaves that underlying legal dispute unresolved while construction continues under temporary protection from judicial interference.
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