The Trump administration is pressing ahead with plans for a permanent black metal security fence, up to 10 feet high, around Lafayette Square, the historic public park opposite the White House. The proposal, put to the National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday, would replace the temporary fencing, bollards and bike racks repeatedly erected around the presidential residence, and comes after Trump faced a series of security threats, including two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign and separate shooting incidents near the White House in April and May. Critics have warned that permanent barriers could make it easier for the government to restrict long-term public access to a space that has historically been a hub for protest and free assembly.

The fence would enclose the entire eight-acre park with large gates at its main entrances, allowing officials to shut it when required while otherwise keeping it open to the public. Lafayette Square has already been fenced off for nearly eight months, initially for an America 250 renovation project that the National Park Service expected to finish by 31 May, though the fencing reportedly remained in place well after the work was completed. White House and Secret Service officials say the changes would modernise security across the 18-acre complex, with Trump described as "uniquely positioned" to push through a "21st-century security posture."