US District Judge Christopher Cooper issued a ruling Thursday that restricts the Trump administration from making sudden physical alterations to the Kennedy Center without advance court notice. The order specifically requires Trump administration lawyers to give formal notification 30 days before starting any new projects, renovations, or demolition at the facility. Cooper also mandated that the government file an updated report concerning the temporary closure of the performing arts venue.

The ruling arrives after photos appeared showing President Donald Trump reviewing a poster regarding the demolition of the site. The Trump administration has characterized the building's structural deterioration as an untenable safety risk to justify its closure despite $257 million in appropriated taxpayer funds available for renovation. Representative Joyce Beatty filed an emergency motion challenging that closure, leading to the current legal restrictions on the facility's physical modifications.