A US federal appeals court has halted construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, siding with historic preservationists who sued to stop the project. The ballroom, spanning 90,000 square feet (8,400 square meters), was initiated after the Trump administration demolished the historic East Wing without congressional authorization.

The order upheld a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed the lawsuit last year. District court judge Richard Leon noted in a March opinion that any incomplete construction poses concerns for the safety and security of the White House grounds and the President, stating that the "existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making."

In response, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, calling the decision a "National Security Threat at the highest level." He emphasized that presidents, elected by the people of the United States, have rights including "to fix, renovate, secure, protect, and beautify the White House grounds," and criticized the halt as occurring after much work had been done and paid for.

Separately, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport highlighted the state's duty to uphold civil rights, particularly for detained individuals, including those held by private corporations like GEO Group, emphasizing the right to humane treatment and adequate medical care.

Oregon’s Democratic Governor Tina Kotek expressed support for locally set moratoriums on new data center construction, following Hillsboro’s recent temporary prohibition on such developments.

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