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Judge halts planned closure of Washington golf course and park
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Judge Ana Reyes has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from closing East Potomac Golf Links and its surrounding park for renovations, preserving public access while legal proceedings continue. In a 30-page decision, she said the government’s reasons for closing the site appeared pretextual and that officials had violated at least two federal laws to meet an arbitrary deadline.
President Donald Trump had planned to close the 106-year-old course for 15 months from 15 November, describing it as dilapidated and promising a renovation to tournament standards. The course is one of three public courses run by the National Park Service in Washington DC, about two miles south of the White House. The dispute began with a February lawsuit and intensified after hundreds of trees were cut down; Reyes has separately opened an inquiry into whether Justice Department attorneys misled the court or breached ethical rules.
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In short
- A judge has stopped the planned closure of East Potomac Golf Links.
- The ruling keeps the historic park open during the legal case.
- A separate inquiry is examining the conduct of government lawyers.
How this story developed
- 20 minutes ago Reyes’s ruling also highlighted the dispute over Trump’s plan to upgrade the 106-year-old public course, which he had called “Trash Island”; she has separately begun examining whether Justice Department lawyers misled the court.
- 31 minutes ago Judge Ana Reyes temporarily barred the Trump administration from shutting East Potomac Golf Links and its surrounding park for a planned 15-month renovation, saying officials’ reasons appeared pretextual and at least two federal laws had been breached.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Renovating the ageing course could improve facilities and bring it up to tournament standards, while keeping it available to the public in the long term. A planned closure may be a practical way to carry out substantial work, provided it is lawful and the park’s public value is respected.
The case against
The course and surrounding park are historic public assets, and a 15-month closure would deny residents access while the work proceeds. The judge’s concerns about the government’s stated reasons and possible legal violations strengthen the case for pausing the project until the dispute is resolved and the public interest is protected.
Explained simply
East Potomac Golf Links is a public golf course on an island in the Potomac River, about two miles south of the White House. Opened in 1920, it is one of three golf courses run by the National Park Service in Washington, DC, within a larger public park.
The Trump administration proposed a 15-month renovation, saying it would improve the course to tournament standards while keeping it open to the public. The plans became the subject of a legal dispute after hundreds of trees were cut down. The case concerns how federal land is managed and how the public can use the historic park.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Judge blocks Trump closure of ‘Trash Island’ Washington DC golf course on Sunday”.