Construction equipment is visible behind temporary fencing at the White House East Wing site as litigation over the planned ballroom project moves forward in federal court.

Federal court filings reviewed by ENR show the Trump administration is pushing to keep construction of the White House ballroom moving, formally opposing efforts to halt the project while asking a judge to consider sealed national security declarations that would limit public scrutiny.

The Dec. 15 filings, submitted to U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, mark the first comprehensive government defense of the project since demolition of the East Wing began.

Court records show the White House formally opposed a request by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to halt construction of the planned ballroom and associated temporary facilities in responding to the preservation group’s motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.

The hearing is calendared for Dec. 16 before Judge Richard J. Leon, where the government will argue that plaintiffs are unlikely to prevail and that pausing construction would cause harm.

The administration also asked the court for permission to submit a declaration privately and under seal, seeking to present national security information ex parte and in camera for the court’s review—meaning the judge would review the material privately, outside the public record.

Those same filings also provide the clearest public snapshot to date of how work is advancing on site.

National Park Service Liaison John Stanwich testified that the Executive Residence is managing the “White House East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom Project” and coordinating weekly with Clark Construction and project architect, Shalom Baranes Associates.

According to the filing, above-grade demolition of the East Wing and East Colonnade was completed early this month, and below-grade demolition and excavation are proceeding.

Stanwich stated that Clark is expected to begin footing and below-grade structural concrete work in January around the East Colonnade and in February in the East Wing area. He testified that above-grade structural work would not likely begin before next April.