Trump admin pushes back on court order to restore historical sites

A judge ordered the National Park Service to restore the materials by July 4.

The Trump administration sought to block a court order to restore historical sites across the country ahead of America 250 celebrations on July 4.

The Department of the Interior and the National Park Service filed an appeal on Monday evening seeking a preliminary injunction to dismiss a judge's ruling the federal government must restore materials that were removed from historical sites and national parks across the country since May 20, 2025.

The appeal was taken to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. If granted, the injunction would stop the full restoration of historical markers, materials and sites before July 4.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department confirmed the appeal to ABC News in a statement on Tuesday.

"We fully believe politically charged language denigrating our Founding Fathers is inappropriate and only further divides Americans,” they said. “Through President Trump, we have encouraged Americans to visit our cultural and historic sites and engage in meaningful conversations about the moments that have shaped our country."

"By telling the full story, every triumph, every challenge and every step towards a more perfect union we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here," they added.

According to U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley's ruling, by early 2026 NPS had removed or identified for removal hundreds of materials from park sites, including "dozens of signs related to climate change, civil rights, and diverse communities," which are listed in the ruling.

Kelley ruled Friday that the Interior Department, which oversees NPS, must restore within 21 days all materials removed from historic sites, casting the Trump administration's actions as "arbitrary and capricious."

"Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this Administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths," the judge wrote in the order.

"Not only does this undermine the integrity of the National Parks; it sets a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization," Kelley added.

Notable changes outlined in the lawsuit include the removal of signs detailing the impact of climate change at locations like Glacier National Park in Montana and Acadia National Park in Maine; the removal of materials dedicated to