WASHINGTON DC — The Justice Department on Monday filed an emergency motion seeking to lift an injunction that has blocked construction of a new White House ballroom, arguing that the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump two days earlier strengthened the need for a secure space for large events. The filing stated that the injunction stalling the project could not continue.

The attempted assassination occurred Saturday during the White House Correspondents' dinner, where a man was arrested for trying to kill Trump. According to the department's filing, the incident was the third attempt on the president's life since 2024.

The legal dispute over the ballroom began when the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit seeking to halt construction. Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that work on the project had to stop. An appeals court subsequently paused that ruling, and the Justice Department's Monday motion seeks to remove the remaining legal obstacles to the project moving forward.

The department's filing linked the security concerns raised by the assassination attempt directly to the absence of a dedicated secure event space at the White House. The proposed ballroom is intended to serve as that space, according to the filing, which cited the Saturday incident as evidence that the injunction should not remain in place while litigation continues.