A federal judge has temporarily halted further tree removal at East Potomac Golf Links, after the Trump administration cut down at least 430 trees at the D.C. municipal course over a single weekend without first obtaining the court’s approval. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes extended the stop-work order through Oct. 26 on Tuesday and directed the government to give three business days’ written notice before making any further irreversible changes to the course. She also ordered Interior Department deputy chief of staff Greg Wischer and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron to testify at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 19. The dispute is part of a lawsuit brought in February by the D.C. Preservation League and two residents over the federal government’s handling of East Potomac Park. Reyes had ruled in May that officials must seek court approval before removing more than 10 trees at the golf course. On Friday, government officials notified the court shortly before 5 p.m. that they planned to remove as many as 529 trees in phases starting Saturday. At least 430 had been cut by the end of that day, prompting Reyes to call an emergency hearing. “What has happened has cost the government all of its credibility with me in this case,” Reyes said during Monday’s nearly four-hour hearing. She questioned whether officials had misled the court about their plans and the timing of the work, and rebuked a government lawyer who said the administration had done its best to provide notice. The National Park Service has described the tree removal as deferred maintenance intended to restore the course’s historic landscape. In a court filing, National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Kevin Griess cited a 2019 agency report that said successive plantings had altered the course’s original 1920s links-style design and obscured views. Griess said the agency had a temporary influx of 20 to 50 trained workers available for labor-intensive maintenance. He confirmed in court that the staffing surge was connected to preparations for the administration’s 250th-anniversary events, including an IndyCar race on the National Mall in August. The tree cutting has drawn added scrutiny because President Donald Trump has said he wants to redevelop East Potomac into a championship-level golf course. His stated Sept. 1 target for beginning work has passed without a formal proposal. The Interior Department has said renovation plans remain conceptual and that it wants the courses to remain open, affordable and accessible. The course and surrounding peninsula are also used by cyclists, runners, anglers and people picnicking. Residents have raised concerns that the redevelopment could limit access to a historically affordable public golf course and a broader recreation area. Reyes said she had previously tried to give the government the benefit of the doubt, but warned that violating the latest order could lead to contempt proceedings. In extending the restraint, she found that the plaintiffs had shown they were likely to suffer irreparable harm without court intervention.