On August 31, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the administration’s application to stay a lower-court injunction affecting construction of the White House Ballroom. The order allows above-ground work to continue while the government pursues further review.
How the Case Reached This Point
On August 7, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower-court restriction on above-ground ballroom construction. The administration then submitted an emergency application asking the Supreme Court to keep the injunction from taking effect.
Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary administrative stay on August 21. Ten days later, the full Court granted the government’s stay application.
What the Supreme Court Decided
The Court’s unsigned order concluded that the government was likely to prevail on its argument that the National Trust for Historic Preservation lacked standing to bring the challenge. The Court also considered the asserted harm of interrupting an active construction project and the balance of the parties’ interests.
Chief Justice Roberts dissented, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The dissent maintained that the project likely required express congressional authorization and that the National Trust had standing to pursue its claims.
What the Order Does Not Decide
The stay does not finally determine whether the Ballroom project is lawful, nor does it amount to a final decision on the underlying lawsuit. It governs whether the injunction remains effective while further Supreme Court review is pursued.
Under the order, the stay remains tied to the filing and disposition of a timely petition for a writ of certiorari. If review is denied, the stay terminates automatically. If review is granted, it remains in place until the Court’s judgment is sent down.
Where the Project Stands
Above-ground Ballroom construction may continue under the stay while the legal process moves forward. WHBallroom will continue maintaining the project timeline and separating dated court actions from any final resolution of the case.
See the Project Status page for the broader construction, design-review, and legal chronology.