A Virginia couple, Charles and Judith Voorhees, filed an emergency motion in federal court on Thursday, seeking to halt the project, alleging that it violates multiple federal preservation and planning laws.

The Voorhees lawsuit seeking to halt the project argues that Trump bypassed laws meant to protect national landmarks and public transparency.

At stake is whether a sitting president can unilaterally alter one of the country’s most symbolically important buildings, or whether the "People’s House" must remain subject to the same review and accountability standards that govern other federal projects.