Federal Judge Blocks Park Service from Removing Exhibit Materials

On June 12, 2026, a federal judge briefly halted actions by the National Park Service concerning display materials at national parks. This move followed an executive order from President Trump that demanded removal or alteration of items perceived as disparaging to Americans or painting the United States negatively.

Judge Angel Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a temporary block on the enforcement of this order. She instructed the Park Service to reinstate any dismantled or modified exhibits within three weeks.

The decision offers a temporary relief to advocacy groups who opposed the executive order through a lawsuit initiated in February. These groups argued that the directive led to unwarranted censorship.

Some specific cases included the removal of plaques discussing slavery at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, materials related to climate change at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and signs about Indigenous people at Acadia National Park in Maine.

Moreover, another judge had previously prohibited changes to the slavery exhibit at the President’s House Site of Independence National Historical Park in consideration of a separate lawsuit filed by the city of Philadelphia.