Kennedy Family Sues to Block Trump’s Arlington Memorial Arch
Nine members of the Kennedy family file a lawsuit against a 250-foot memorial at Arlington, claiming it will shade their relatives' graves.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Nine members of the storied Kennedy dynasty took legal action on Tuesday to halt a plan by President Donald Trump to construct a massive memorial arch.
The family argues that the proposed 250-foot-tall structure would cast a physical shadow over the burial sites of their relatives at Arlington National Cemetery.
The plaintiffs consist of the children and grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, both of whom served in the U.S. Senate.
These graves are located in close proximity to the eternal flame honoring John F. Kennedy, a primary landmark that draws millions of visitors annually.
Legal counsel for the family claims the construction would represent a “permanent denigration” of the sites, preventing descendants from appreciating the area as they always have in the past.
Represented by veteran attorney Norm Eisen and the Democracy Fund, the group filed a motion to intervene in two existing lawsuits aimed at stopping the project.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day stay preventing the administration from breaking ground.
The White House recently released a detailed website for the granite memorial, which is intended to stand between the Lincoln Memorial and the cemetery.
The administration did not immediately comment on the filing. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services who maintains a strained relationship with many family members, did not participate in the lawsuit.
The arch is one of several capital projects overseen by the Republican president, including renovating golf courses and threatening to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—moves that face intense scrutiny following Democratic gains in the midterm elections.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)