Judge Angel Kelley park ruling prevents NPS from removing Slavery Signs
A federal judge in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on Friday that stops the National Park Service (NPS) from removing or changing signs, exhibits and materials at national parks.
The order targets content the Trump administration called negative or disparaging toward Americans.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley ordered the agency to restore any altered or removed materials within 21 days. The deadline falls just before the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.
The ruling comes from a lawsuit filed by groups including the National Parks Conservation Association, historians and scientists.
They argued that the removals violated laws that require national parks to present accurate history and science.
President Trump's administration issued an executive order in 2025. It directed officials to remove content that "inappropriately disparage[s] Americans" or shows the United States in a negative light.
Officials removed signs about slavery at sites like Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, climate threats at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and other topics including Indigenous history and LGBTQ+ events.
"Not only does this undermine the integrity of the national parks; it sets a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization," Judge Kelley wrote.
"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," she added.
The administration has said the changes aim to restore truth and sanity to American history and avoid divisive narratives.
Supporters argue that some exhibits focus too much on negative aspects and fail to highlight the country's achievements.
The plaintiffs said the removals amount to government censorship that erases parts of the nation's story. They pointed to dozens of sites affected across the country.
Judge Kelley, nominated by former President Joe Biden, said national parks should tell the full history, "including the good, the bad and the ugly."
The case is ongoing, and the Trump administration can appeal the decision.
