Appeals court orders Trump administration to 'preserve status quo' at President's House slavery exhibit
Source: ABC News
April 9, 2026, 5:16 PM
An appeals court judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to "preserve the status quo" at the slavery exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia amid a pending lawsuit filed by the city of Philadelphia challenging the National Park Service's removal of dozens of panels at the memorial.
The panels, which were removed by the NPS in January were largely restored on Feb. 19 after a federal judge granted the city of Philadelphia's request for a preliminary injunction.
The Thursday ruling, which was written by Circuit Judge Thomas M. Hardiman, prevents the government from removing the panels again while the case moves forward. It also prevents the federal government from making any changes to the panels "without mutual agreement of the City of Philadelphia" as the lawsuit moves forward.
"Defendants are hereby ENJOINED from taking any action to damage any exhibits, panels, artwork, or other items from the President's House Site, are ORDERED to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety, security, and preservation of any such items that had been removed from the President's House Site on January 22, 2026," the judge wrote.
Read more: https://abcnews.com/US/appeals-court-orders-trump-administration-preserve-status-quo/story?id=131890032
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.paed.648842/gov.uscourts.paed.648842.85.0.pdf
REFERENCE (most recent) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143646775
REFERENCE (previous, with earlier references) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143619531
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