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Judge Says Removed President’s House Slavery Exhibits Not Destroyed, Orders Halt to Further Changes
Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ordered protection for 34 slavery exhibit panels removed from the President's House and halted further removals amid Philadelphia's ongoing lawsuit.
- On Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe inspected the removed slavery panels at the President's House at Independence National Historical Park and National Constitution Center storage, then ordered the government to safeguard the exhibits and prevent further changes until further notice.
- The City of Philadelphia sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and National Park Service after Jan. 22 removals tied to President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14253, disputing past agreements over panel ownership.
- Inspectors found panels stored in a non-public room, some on a cement floor against a wall, after city attorneys, a community action group, and federal lawyers inspected 30 items that make up the exhibit.
- The judge set a quick timetable for filings and emphasized speedy resolution, instructing the City of Philadelphia to file a new injunction request and giving the U.S. attorney's office one week to respond.
- Advocacy groups warn the removals threaten the first federal memorial to enslaved people, including tributes to Bishop Richard Allen and Father Absalom Jones, and call for restoration to preserve public memory.
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Judge orders Trump admin to 'mitigate' further 'damage' to slavery exhibit panels as Philadelphia fights their removal
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to mitigate further "damage" to the slavery exhibit panels that NPS removed from the President's House in Philadelphia.
·United States
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Judge says removed President’s House slavery exhibits not destroyed, orders halt to further changes
PHILADELPHIA (WPHL) -- The exhibits detailing the lives of people enslaved at the President’s House in Philadelphia have not been “destroyed,” a federal judge said Monday after personally inspecting the panels now being kept in a storage facility inaccessible to the public. U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe toured the storage room for about 30 [...]
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Total News Sources23
Leaning Left9Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 33%
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