Lawyers representing the federal government argued Friday that a court could not stop construction of a White House ballroom it was already underway and because of the sensitive security concerns they say the structure is meant to address.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit late Friday put on temporary hold the order by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon halting part of the project. The panel scheduled a hearing for June 5 to review the case.

A majority on a three-judge appeals court panel appeared sympathetic to a challenge to President Trump’s White House ballroom project at oral arguments Friday. The two Democratic-appointed judges pressed the government on its arguments that Congress has already given all necessary approvals and that a preservationist group has no right to sue.

See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The White House is pressing a federal appeals court to allow construction to continue on President Donald Trump’s planned ...

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ruled Tuesday that construction on President Trump's White House ballroom "must stop until Congress authorizes its completion." Using a notable number of exclamation points, Leon said the plaintiff, the National Trust ...

The exchange came as the Trump administration argued against a legal challenge over the construction of Trump’s planned White House ballroom.