D.C. and Virginia sue to block Trump's 250-foot Arlington arch

The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia filed a joint federal lawsuit on Saturday to halt construction of a 250-foot arch proposed near the Arlington National Cemetery. The two jurisdictions argue the structure is illegal and would damage the historic character of the capital.

The complaint asks a federal judge to issue an immediate stop-work order. The Trump administration plans to begin construction on November 5, one day after the National Capital Planning Commission votes on the project.

Plaintiffs claim the arch will cause severe, immediate, and irreparable harm to regional mobility, safety, and the environment. They contend the design violates the 1910 Height Act, which limits most buildings in Washington to 130 feet, and that the project lacks the necessary authorization from Congress.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb described the impact on District residents as irreversible. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones called the initiative an illegal vanity project that threatens the solemnity of the military cemetery.

The legal challenge also argues that the massive concrete and granite structure will permanently break the historic visual axis connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House. The project was conceived to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. A separate lawsuit is already pending, brought by Vietnam War veterans and preservation groups.