Former board members of the U.S. Institute of Peace asked a federal court in Washington on Thursday to block the planned carving of President Donald Trump’s name into the institute’s headquarters, saying a contractor may already have been chosen for the work. The emergency motion was filed as the former directors continue challenging the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle the independent, nonprofit organization. The board members said they had asked Kenneth Jackson, a Department of Government Efficiency official serving as the institute’s acting president, to prevent any permanent alteration while the litigation proceeds. The U.S. Institute of Peace occupies a building on Constitution Avenue whose design was intended to reflect the organization’s nonpartisan role and independence. The motion argues that changing the facade to add Trump’s name would cause “irreparable harm” by imposing a new political message on a structure largely financed through private donations. Trump’s name was attached to the exterior in December 2025, beside the institute’s engraved name. That addition was bolted onto the facade and could be removed. The latest filing concerns a more permanent carving into the building itself. Congress created the institute during President Ronald Reagan’s administration to conduct research and training focused on conflict prevention, democracy and peacebuilding around the world. The Trump administration moved against the organization soon after taking office, as part of a broader campaign led by Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative to reduce the size of the federal government. The institute’s legal battle with the administration intensified after its president was ousted and federal officials sought control of the building. In May 2025, a federal judge ruled that the administration’s actions to dismantle the nonprofit were unlawful. A federal appeals court panel stayed that ruling the following month, leaving the dispute unresolved. The emergency filing comes days after a separate court fight over Trump’s name at the Kennedy Center. A court blocked the addition of his name to that building, after which Trump announced that the arts center would close and was seen viewing a display that appeared to reference demolishing it. The former USIP board members said delaying any carving would not harm the administration, arguing that the project could be reconsidered after the litigation concludes. The White House had not responded to a request for comment as of the filing’s publication.