A federal judge has allowed construction to resume on secretive underground security facilities at the White House, but he blocked work on President Donald Trump‘s $400 million ballroom project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote that the White House can resume building underground bunker components because they’re necessary for the safety and security of the White House grounds, the president, and his staff.
But Leon called out the administration’s efforts to argue that the entire project to replace the East Wing of the White House should meet that exception. That argument is, “to say the least, incredible, if not disingenuous,” Leon wrote.
“National security is not a blank check to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity,” the judge said. The exception is for “national security facilities,” underground, including a security bunker, and those that secure the grounds and the president.
Those projects may proceed, but when they are done, they can be topped with a slab, Leon ruled.
National security justifications
Leon rejected the White House’s arguments that halting construction would be a national security concern. He cited previous White House arguments that the underground bunker and ballroom are independent projects.
Leon also rejected other arguments, including that the structural integrity of the building would suffer without the ballroom work.
Arguing the whole project is a security concern, Leon ruled tartly, “is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!”
Trump said in February that the project was on budget and ahead of schedule. The National Planning Commission then voted to approve the project despite some negative public comments.
Leon halted construction on March 31 amid a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia argued that the project needs Congress to sign off.
The government appealed, and a Circuit Court ordered Leon to clarify his order. But Leon said the ballroom itself is “likely unauthorized by statute.”
The 90,000-square-foot project, which started in October 2025 during the government shutdown, is being funded by private donors, Trump said.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust, said on April 11 that the group would continue to push its case. The group says the ballroom must go through legally required review processes, including a public comment period.
“The National Trust remains committed to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome,” Quillen said.
Tristan Navera is a senior reporter on housing policy, covering trends and solutions in the housing market from Washington, DC. He was previously a senior reporter at Bloomberg Law, and before that covered real estate for the Washington Business Journal. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade reporting on business and real estate in Dayton and Columbus, OH. A Cincinnati native, he holds a journalism degree from Ohio University.
