The Supreme Court intervened Friday to allow construction on a new White House ballroom to move forward, temporarily blocking lower court orders that would have shut down aboveground work on the project.
Chief Justice John Roberts issued the administrative stay, giving the high court more time to review the case and determine its next steps.
The emergency appeal stems from a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The preservation group challenged the project on aesthetic grounds and argued that President Donald Trump lacked the legal authority to move forward with the build adjoining the executive mansion.
Lower courts had previously sided with the trust. A federal district judge ruled that while underground work could proceed, crews had to pause construction on the ballroom itself while the lawsuit played out.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld that restriction on Aug. 7, setting Friday as the hard deadline for work to halt unless the Supreme Court stepped in.
In court filings, the administration reported that the $400 million, privately funded project was roughly 65% complete as of Aug. 14. To meet project timelines, a 250-person crew has been working 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
The overall expansion also involves an extensive subterranean footprint featuring secure operational spaces and medical facilities, which administration officials argued in court documents are critical for security.
The provisional stay leaves the construction active while the full court considers the merits of the emergency request.
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