Legal Hold: Federal Judge Temporarily Stops Arlington Memorial Removal

It was planned to remove the Confederate Memorial from Arlington National Cemetery this week.Photo byCalla Kessler/The Washington Post/Getty Images

A federal judge in Virginia temporarily halted the removal of the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery following a lawsuit by Defend Arlington and Save Southern Heritage Florida. US District Judge Ronnie D. Alston granted a restraining order, stopping the removal of the bronze elements planned for Friday.

The lawsuit alleges violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and a lack of care for surrounding grave sites during the removal process. The Defence Department is barred from altering the memorial until further court action after Wednesday's hearing.

The Army, overseeing the cemetery, completed an assessment stating the removal wouldn't cause significant environmental impacts. The monument's bronze elements were set for removal, but the granite base would remain to respect nearby graves.

Confederate remains were only allowed at Arlington after 1900, and the monument, erected in 1914, features a bronze woman atop a 32-foot pedestal with symbolic inscriptions. Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed relocating it to New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.

This legal battle echoes West Point's removal of Robert E. Lee items a year ago, signifying ongoing debates surrounding Confederate symbols at national landmarks.