Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration Tree Removal at East Potomac Golf Course Through Oct. 26

Reyes Bars Further Tree Felling After Accusations of Court Deception

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to halt tree-cutting at the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., extending a pause through Monday, Oct. 26. The directive came one day after an emergency hearing in which Reyes accused the government of duping her into allowing the removal of trees over the holiday weekend. "The Court ORDERS that Defendants may not fell any further trees on the East Potomac Golf Course through Monday, October 26," the judge wrote in an order on the docket.

Holiday-Weekend Tree Removal at the Center of the Dispute

The National Park Service began removing trees at the public golf course on Saturday, according to court testimony from Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks Kevin Griess. Griess said 430 trees were knocked down before work was suspended on Sunday because of bad weather, and that workers had identified roughly 300 more trees still to be cut. The Trump administration had informed the court shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday that the Park Service would remove about 500 trees from the course over the three-day holiday weekend.

Judge Says Government Forfeited Its Credibility

Reyes told Justice Department lawyers at Monday's hearing that she was "furious," saying she had "trusted" the government not to carry out precisely the work it proceeded to do. "What has happened has cost the government all of its credibility," Reyes added. Earlier in the case, the judge had denied a request for a restraining order after administration lawyers assured her and the plaintiffs they would receive ample notice of any large-scale work on the course.

Underlying Lawsuit Targets Trump's Course Renovation Plans

The order arises from a lawsuit filed by a preservation group and two Washington, D.C., residents who are challenging Trump's plan to renovate the course. As part of Tuesday's directive, Reyes also required the government to give the court and plaintiffs three business days' written advance notice before making any irreparable modification to a permanent form or feature of the East Potomac Golf Course.

Next Verified Milestone

The pause on tree removal runs through Monday, Oct. 26, when the court order expires unless extended.