Key facts
- Nine Kennedy family members sued the Trump administration to block the 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
- The complaint says the arch would obstruct the clear sightline of the Kennedy gravesites and alter the visitor experience.
- The family argues the National Park Service and Interior Department authorized construction without required congressional approval.
- The lawsuit asks the court to set aside the authorization and block construction of the arch.
- A federal judge blocked construction for 14 days on November 6, 2026, while considering a preliminary injunction.
- The Trump administration contends Congress approved the arch more than 100 years ago alongside a Potomac bridge.
Nine members of the Kennedy family sued the Trump administration on November 10, 2026, asking a federal judge to block a proposed 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, saying it would cast shadows over their relatives' graves and obstruct sightlines.
The complaint states that the arch, topped with a Lady Liberty-like winged figure, would "obstruct the clear sightline of the Kennedy Gravesites" and "fundamentally alter the experience of visiting" the family's memorial. The family argued in a statement that the project risks "permanently diminishing these memorials."
"A towering arch casting shadows across the graves of our father, mother, and uncles, as well as the graves of so many who have served our country, would also cast a shadow over our democratic principles, undermining the safeguards established by our elected representatives to protect this hallowed ground for generations to come," plaintiffs Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said in a statement on behalf of the family.
The lawsuit argues that the National Park Service and the US Interior Department authorized construction of the arch without the required congressional approval. It asks the court to set aside the authorization and block construction.
The arch, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, would stand on a highway roundabout across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. A rendering shows it with a flame held by a 60-foot gold winged female figure and gold flying eagles.
A federal judge blocked construction work for 14 days on November 6, 2026, while she considers whether to issue a preliminary injunction. The Trump administration contends Congress approved the arch more than 100 years ago when it also authorized a bridge across the Potomac River, and has said the arch would honor veterans. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Numerous Democrats in Congress have vowed to block construction once they take control in January, after winning November's midterm elections.