Key facts
- A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate history and science materials removed from national parks.
- The removals targeted topics including slavery, civil rights, Indigenous history, and climate change.
- The judge ruled that the administration's actions set a "dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization."
- The Interior Department must restore all removed interpretive materials within 21 days.
- The lawsuit argued that the removals violated congressional mandates for park operations.
- The Interior Department stated it is reviewing its options to appeal the ruling.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate history and science materials removed from national parks, finding that the White House’s actions “set a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization.” U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a preliminary injunction, stating the Interior Department's actions violated congressional mandates governing park operations.
The lawsuit, filed by conservation organizations including the National Parks Conservation Association, challenged an executive order signed by Donald Trump in March 2025 titled “restoring truth and sanity to American history.” The order prompted the deinstallation of signage and material at national sites that referenced topics such as slavery, civil rights, Indigenous history, and climate change.
Kelley agreed with the plaintiffs, stating the administration sought to tell "half-truths" by removing exhibits that did not align with its preferred narrative. The ruling requires the Interior Department to restore all removed interpretive materials within 21 days. An Interior Department spokesperson called the judge a "liberal activist" and stated the department is reviewing its options to appeal the ruling.