Heritage Groups Sue Trump Over “Garden of American Heroes"

Six Washington, D.C., preservation groups sued the Trump administration on Monday, June 15, seeking to halt a proposed 250-statue “National Garden of American Heroes” planned for West Potomac Park along the National Mall. The lawsuit, filed against the Department of the Interior by organizations including the National Parks Conservation Association and the Cultural Landscape Foundation, argues the project was announced in May and violates congressional restrictions on new development and other preservation laws, including typical multi-step review and congressional approval processes for monuments. The groups also said project renderings suggest reduced open grassy areas and removal of recreational sports fields near the Jefferson Memorial. The proposed honorees include figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Hannah Arendt, and Frederick Douglass alongside controversial choices like Christopher Columbus and Junípero Serra; the Interior Department responded by questioning the plaintiffs’ political motives and defending the project as a celebration of American history.

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