The Trump administration on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow continued construction on the White House ballroom.
Construction of the ballroom, which has taken over the East Wing of the White House, has gone on for the past several months. A panel of district judges in the District of Columbia halted the project’s construction in an order last week.
The ballroom is meant to host meetings between President Donald Trump, administration staff and foreign leaders on the White House grounds, while security for the president has become a focal point following recent threats on his life.
“If allowed to go into effect, the injunction would wrongfully install a single district judge as sole arbiter of what further construction is ‘strictly necessary’ to protect the safety of the President, his family, staff members, and visitors to the White House, including foreign dignitaries, and presidents and prime ministers of other countries,” Solicitor General John Sauer wrote in a brief to the high court.
The D.C. district court specifically halted construction of the ballroom but allowed updateds to underground security infrastructure to continue. In a filing to the court, Sauer said the construction includes bomb shelters, medical facilities and a drone port.
Concerns have grown over funding for the ballroom as well. The White House initially estimated $400 million in costs for the construction from private donations.
However, members of Congress have pointed out that taxpayers would be on the hook for necessary security measures to protect the ballroom, including $155 million for Secret Service, $149 million for the White House military office, and $3 million for the executive residency.
“The Project is on time and under budget, and the ballroom is funded with approximately $400 million in private donations by President Donald J.Trump and ‘some of the most prominent and successful corporations and people in America’ – zero taxpayer dollars are needed or required,” Sauer wrote.
Sauer said there would be “no way” for the ballroom to be altered or dismantled.
The Trump adminsitration argued courts are not entitled to dictate projects within the executive branch. The administration also said the ballroom falls into Trump’s duties as president to host foreign leaders.
“Modernizing the East Wing to address security requirements, update its infra-structure, and better allow the President to carry out his Article II duties (like receiving foreign dignitaries) falls well within the statutory text,” Sauer said.
Justices on the high court will decide whether to allow continued construction on the ballroom through the emergency docket, where decisions can be made without as much briefing. The high court could decide whether to allow construction in the next few days.