A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden on Friday ordered the Trump administration to restore exhibits and informational displays related to slavery, climate change, and other politically charged historical subjects at national parks and monuments across the country.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued a preliminary injunction directing the Interior Department to reinstall the materials within 21 days, concluding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their argument that the removals violated federal law.
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The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of conservation, historical, and scientific organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association and the American Association for State and Local History.
Supporters of the Trump administration’s actions have argued that many of the displays reflected a politically driven interpretation of history and public policy, while opponents contend that removing them amounted to censorship and undermined the educational mission of the National Park Service.
In her ruling, Kelley said the Trump administration had removed materials that “do not align with its preferred narrative.”
She further claimed that doing so undermined the integrity of the national park system.
It’s not clear how she arrived at her conclusion that the removals were due to misalignment with a “preferred narrative.”
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“Removing these signs not only undermines the integrity of the National Parks; it sets a dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization,” Kelley wrote.
Her ruling did not address the revisionist history represented in the displays nor the fact that ‘human-caused climate change’ is a theory and not settled science.
The dispute arises from a March 2025 executive order signed by President Trump directing federal agencies to eliminate what the administration described as “false revision of history” in parks, monuments, and memorials.
In his order, Trump noted that the exhibits portrayed the United States as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed” while also ordering a review of other materials at federal parks.
Biden activist judge Angel Kelley is criticized for her transgender civil rights, climate change & immigration rulings. “A vocal proponent of judicial equity, spearheading training programs designed to help court staff/fellow judges identify & combat conscious & unconscious bias” pic.twitter.com/oQzvmAP6JY
— Lauren G 🇺🇸 (@lbc360) June 13, 2026
The judge stated that the groups were likely to succeed in their challenge and ordered the government to restore the displays in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
In March, a separate federal judge appointed by Biden indicated he might consider ordering the imprisonment of officials from ICE and the Department of Justice during a heated exchange in the courtroom with U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, as reported by local affiliate Fox 9.
A news outlet reported that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan in Minnesota summoned Rosen and several officials from ICE and the DOJ to court for an unusual contempt hearing regarding alleged “unlawful conduct” by federal officials.
The hearing was a result of the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge,” which targeted illegal immigration and fraud.
During the proceedings, Bryan indicated that he had “not ruled out the possibility of imprisonment” for the federal officials involved in this case.
Fox 9 reported that Bryan acknowledged that imprisonment would likely be an unlikely “extraordinary measure.” However, he emphasized that all options are being considered.
Bryan stated that such imprisonment would represent a “historic low point” for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The hearing occurred during a rise in Minnesota federal judges accusing the federal government of contempt for failing to comply with court orders.
Last week, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schlitz strongly criticized the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its alleged lack of compliance.
“This Court will continue to do whatever is required to protect the rule of law, including, if necessary, moving to the use of criminal contempt,” he stated.
One way or another, ICE will comply with this Court’s orders,” Schlitz said.
Bryan summoned Rosen and several ICE officials, alleging that the federal government failed to comply with multiple court orders.
The orders required the return of cash, phones, passports, and identity documents belonging to 28 individuals who were “unlawfully detained” and later released by the agency.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
