Key facts
- Renovation work on the East Potomac Golf Links is slated to begin November 15.
- US District Judge Ana Reyes ordered a halt to tree removal at the site.
- The Trump administration is seeking to disqualify Judge Reyes from the case.
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that renovations at the East Potomac Golf Links would commence on November 15, despite a federal judge's previous orders to halt substantive construction. The DC Preservation League filed a lawsuit in February, arguing that the administration's takeover and planned renovations would violate environmental laws and irreparably damage a historic American site. Earlier this year, US District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the government must provide prior notification before proceeding with construction. Last week, she issued an order halting the removal of approximately 500 trees from the site, which she described as "inexcusable." The Trump administration has requested Reyes' disqualification from the case, citing "deep-seated and unequivocal antipathy toward the Trump Administration."