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WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Saturday instructed a judge to reconsider national-security implications before halting construction on President Donald Trump's $400 million White House ballroom, returning the case to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon. The three-judge D.C. Circuit panel said it lacked sufficient information to decide how much of the project could be suspended without risking the safety of the president, his family, or White House staff. The appeals court extended a temporary stay of the lower-court injunction to April 17, giving the administration time to seek Supreme Court review and to provide additional evidence about ongoing excavation adjacent to the Executive Mansion. Trump's legal team argued that an immediate halt would leave the Executive Mansion exposed, while the panel — noted in some reports as a 2-1 decision — asked the trial judge to clarify whether the injunction interferes with security plans.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.