250-foot arch: Kennedy kin ask judge to halt construction

The proposed memorial arch stands at 250 feet tall. Nine members of the Kennedy family asked a federal judge on Tuesday to stop President Donald Trump from building it. They argue the structure will cast a shadow over where their relatives are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The relatives filed a motion to join two existing lawsuits against the project. In their filing, they state the arch's shadow would fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites. This legal move comes shortly after U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked the administration from starting construction for 14 days.

The petitioners are children and grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy. Both men served in the U.S. Senate and were brothers of President John F. Kennedy. The graves of the two brothers sit near the eternal flame at the site where their brother is buried.

Lawyers for the family describe the arch as a permanent denigration of those burial sites. They contend that building the monument will prevent family members from appreciating the area as the Kennedy family originally intended. The three Kennedy memorials currently draw millions of visitors to Arlington every year.

Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund are representing the relatives. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as the health and human services secretary, did not join the suit. He has a complicated relationship with many other family members. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The administration unveiled details for the project on a new website last week. The design features gold ornamentation and gray granite. It is planned for the area between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The proposed height equals 76 meters.

This arch is one of several projects Trump has pursued to reshape Washington. Other initiatives include renovating a public golf course and threatening to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. These plans may face closer scrutiny after Democrats gained control of Congress in this week's midterm elections.