US judge halts Trump's plan to close historic DC golf course for redevelopment

A US judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's plan to shut down a historic public golf course in Washington for a 15-month redevelopment, ruling that the government cannot close the park to the public while a legal challenge against the project is pending.US District Judge Ana Reyes, in a 30-page order issued on Saturday, said the administration was seeking to close a historic public space that was regularly used by Washington residents. "The government proposes to close a historic park, daily enjoyed by Washingtonians of all stripes, indefinitely," she wrote, as quoted by Reuters.Reyes said the administration's stated reasons for shutting the site were "pretextual" and that the government had violated at least two federal laws to meet what she described as an "arbitrary deadline". The order prevents the government from closing East Potomac Park and its golf course during the hours they were open as of November 14. It will remain in force until November 28 or until further orders from the court.The golf course has historical significance. Opened in 1920, it was among Washington's earliest public golf courses and also became a site of the city's civil rights struggle. In 1941, three Black golfers challenged racial segregation at the course and played under police protection, helping advance the integration of public recreational facilities in the capital.