A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore exhibits, signs and other interpretive materials that were altered or removed from national parks and historic sites under an executive order aimed at eliminating what the administration described as inappropriate portrayals of American history.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a preliminary injunction Friday requiring the administration to reverse changes already made and halt any additional revisions while a legal challenge proceeds. The judge also directed the administration to provide weekly status reports detailing progress toward restoring the affected materials.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed in February by conservation and historical organizations that argued National Park Service staff were pressured to remove or censor historically accurate information related to topics including slavery, labor history and climate change.
In her decision, Kelley wrote that the plaintiffs had shown the administration’s actions amounted to an effort to reshape the nation’s historical narrative by removing important perspectives and experiences.
Among the most notable changes cited in the lawsuit were removals at the historic site in Philadelphia associated with the nation’s founding. Exhibits discussing the lives of nine people enslaved there during George Washington’s presidency were taken down. Other changes included the removal of a sign at an Arizona national monument and labor history films at a Massachusetts historical park.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year directing federal agencies to restore what the administration called truth and sanity to American history presented at museums, parks and landmarks. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum later instructed agencies to remove what was described as improper partisan ideology from federal exhibits and displays.
The organizations that brought the lawsuit argued the policy resulted in the removal of factual historical and scientific information from public sites. They contended that national parks should present accurate and complete accounts of American history.
Conservation and park advocacy groups welcomed the ruling, saying it protects the integrity of national parks and the ability of visitors to learn about the full scope of the nation’s past. Representatives of the groups also said the decision supports National Park Service employees who strive to provide objective and historically accurate information.
The Interior Department had not publicly responded to the ruling as of Saturday.
The case is expected to continue in federal court, but the injunction means affected exhibits and educational materials must begin to be restored while the broader legal dispute is resolved.
Source: NPR