Key Facts

• U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will hear arguments over a preliminary injunction on Friday.
• Three Vietnam War veterans and a historian sued to stop construction, citing a lack of proper congressional approval and concerns about the project’s effects.
• The Justice Department said construction could begin as soon as Nov. 5 if the National Capital Planning Commission gives final approval that day.
• The plaintiffs argue that the arch could disrupt the sightline connecting the Lincoln Memorial and the Robert E. Lee Memorial.
• The Justice Department says the project’s initial six months would involve underground and foundation work, without blocking that sightline.
• The government argues that the plaintiffs lack legal standing and cites a recent Supreme Court ruling in a separate White House ballroom case.
• Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth submitted declarations saying the arch could help defend the capital from drone attacks and other threats.
• Arlington County has filed a separate federal lawsuit to block the project; the article also says the FAA found the arch would not pose a flight hazard, though the final sentence is cut off.