Key facts
- A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate exhibits and signs removed from national parks.
- The preliminary injunction also pauses additional changes to park exhibits.
- The judge ruled the administration's actions aimed to rewrite history and exclude certain experiences.
- The order responds to a lawsuit alleging censorship of accurate U.S. history and scientific knowledge.
- The Trump administration must provide weekly status reports on progress in restoring exhibits.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate history and science materials removed from national parks, ruling that the White House’s actions “set a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization.”
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, stating the Interior Department's actions violated congressional mandates for park operations. The order also halts any further changes to park exhibits.
Kelley wrote that the administration sought to rewrite the nation's history by removing exhibits that did not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling "half-truths." The judge emphasized that history cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions are an important part of the nation's story.
The lawsuit, filed by conservation and historical organizations, argued that park service staff were forced to remove or censor dozens of exhibits containing accurate U.S. history and scientific knowledge, including topics like slavery and climate change. Examples cited include exhibits on enslaved individuals at Independence National Historical Park, a sign at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument featuring a Pride flag image, and labor history films at Lowell National Historical Park.
The executive order, signed by President Donald Trump last year, aimed at "restoring truth and sanity to American history." Interior Secretary Doug Burgum subsequently directed the removal of "improper partisan ideology" from federal exhibits.
Conservation groups hailed the ruling, with Alan Spears of the National Parks Conservation Association stating it protects parks from efforts to "erase history and science." Bill Wade of the Association of National Park Rangers noted the decision's positive impact on park employees committed to providing truthful information.