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Archive photo · 12 October 2026Judge Ana Reyes Extends Block On Trump Administration Tree Removal At East Potomac Golf Links
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Judge Ana Reyes extended injunction blocking removal or damage more trees at East Potomac. Order requires 10 business days' notice before irreversible changes.
Reyes extends tree-cutting ban
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes extended her order blocking the Trump administration from removing or damaging trees at East Potomac Golf Links, a publicly owned course beside the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
Reyes issued a 70-page preliminary injunction ruling that barred the government from “removing or damaging” any trees on the course while a lawsuit challenging the renovation plan moves through the court system.
Reyes also required written notice 10 business days before the administration makes “any irreparable modification” to features of East Potomac Park while the case proceeds.
NBC News said the order cited Trump’s Truth Social posts that contradicted testimony from government employees, including a post on Oct. 18 saying Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and an architect had “developed a plan to build a World Class Championship Golf Course” starting Nov. 15.
The government had cut down more than 400 trees over the Columbus Day holiday weekend, and Reyes said she believed it was likely necessary to extend her pause because she had already found the government acted in “bad faith.”
Lorax line and disputes
Reyes framed her ruling with a Dr. Seuss reference, writing, “The Court earlier stated, 'I am not the Lorax. I do not speak for the trees,'” and adding, “The Court still does not speak for the trees. It speaks only for the rule of law.”
Trump responded in a Truth Social post by calling the ruling “unconstitutional” and saying his administration would appeal while the government would still close the course on Nov. 15.
NBC News reported that Reyes displayed screenshots of Truth Social posts, including one on Oct. 19 in which Trump said work would begin “IMMEDIATELY!” and called Reyes “a crazed lunatic.”
Reyes said the case “started as a case about golf” but had become much more, because it forced the Court to reconcile Trump’s assertions with sworn testimony from multiple government employees and arguments from senior Department of Justice attorneys.
Reyes also rejected the government’s position that the tree removals were routine maintenance unrelated to the renovation plan, finding they were part of Trump’s plan.
What happens next
For now, Reyes’ injunction protects the trees at East Potomac Golf Links, and it requires advance notice before any permanent changes to East Potomac Park while the lawsuit continues.
Trump said the government will appeal, and he also said the course would close for construction beginning in November and reopen in 15 months, according to CBS.
Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman said the ruling was “a big win that will rightly protect East Potomac park from further irreparable harm,” and she said her side was eager to argue the case in court.
Reyes’ order included an exception allowing the administration to remove a tree or make a modification to an aspect of the park that is an “imminent threat,” but it required both the court and the plaintiffs 24 hours’ notice and a sworn declaration from a senior National Parks service employee.
The dispute centers on whether the renovation plan violates the National Environmental Policy Act, because the D.C. Preservation League sued arguing the government failed to analyze the project’s impacts.