Trump Officials Must Restore Historic Site’s Slavery Displays

The Trump administration must restore displays with references to slavery at the President’s House site in Philadelphia, a federal judge ruled Monday in an opinion making heavy reference to George Orwell’s novel “1984.”

Philadelphia—which sued last month to challenge the removal of panels, video exhibits, and other displays from the site of the first presidential residence used in the late 1700s—will likely prevail on its claim that the National Park Services exercised too much power through actions it planned and executed without consulting the city, Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe wrote in granting a preliminary injunction. She also said federal officials may not make further alterations to the historical site without the city’s input.

Citing a 1998 federal law that requires the Interior Department to create a national network of sites affiliated with the Underground Railroad and to disseminate educational materials, Rufe, of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said federal officials’ Jan. 22 unilateral decision to excise references to slavery from the site “runs counter to Congressional directives and to the Act’s legislative intent.” It also runs afoul of the 1948 law that established Independence National Historical Park—where the residence sits—and the governing document for the park, she said.

“As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts,” Rufe wrote at the outset of her opinion. “It does not.”

The ruling is a victory for Philadelphia, which said the Trump administration’s actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act by making changes without input to the site, which was collaboratively put together by the city and the federal government. Critics say the actions are part of larger efforts to whitewash the US’ complicated history.

Rufe also said the city is likely to win on alternative grounds on a legal theory, called ultra vires, that protects parties from law violations by an agency that acts against what Congress intended and allowed.

“The removed displays were not mere decorations to be taken down and redisplayed; rather, they were a memorial to ‘men, women, and children of African descent who lived, worked, and died as enslaved people in the United States of America,’ a tribute to their struggle for freedom, and an enduring reminder of the inherent contradictions emanating from this country’s founding,” the judge wrote.

“Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history.”

The Justice Department, which represents the federal officials and agencies named in the lawsuit, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case is Philadelphia v. Burgum, E.D. Pa., No. 2:26-cv-00434, preliminary injunction granted 2/16/26.