Justice Department urges judge to dismiss lawsuit seeking to block UFC event planned at the White House

The Trump administration asked a federal judge on Tuesday to reject a lawsuit seeking to stop an Ultimate Fighting Championship event planned for Sunday at the White House, arguing that government requirements were satisfied and that the event falls within an exclusion from certain environmental review guidelines, according to court filings summarized in media reports.

Attorneys for the Department of Justice wrote that the event has already moved through the regulatory process and that the legal challenge is essentially an attempt to delay or derail plans late in the schedule. The administration also pointed to the scale of the effort and the public exposure already underway for the National Park Service and other federal stakeholders involved in preparations.

The filing described the stakes in terms of money and logistics. Media reports said the government noted that more than $60 million has been spent and that more than 120,000 visitors are expected, including those attending on White House grounds and at the Ellipse, where additional public-facing activity is planned.

The lawsuit was filed by two Virginia residents, identified in reporting as Susan Douglas and Paul Romano. They argued that the event is not a legitimate part of a U.S. anniversary celebration and challenged the authorization for a special, for-profit sports event that they said would receive preferential access to major national sites.

According to the reporting, the plaintiffs characterized the event as a use of White House and nearby federal grounds that goes beyond what typical rules permit for special events. They also framed the occasion as a private branding opportunity rather than a genuine public observance, and sought court intervention to prevent the event from proceeding.

In response, the Justice Department argued that the environmental review framework applicable to the government’s authorization does not require the additional steps requested by the plaintiffs because the event is covered by an exclusion. The administration also disputed the plaintiffs’ framing and argued that allowing the suit to proceed would create avoidable disruption on a compressed timeline, according to the quoted language attributed to government attorneys in the reporting.

The court action sets up an immediate decision point for federal agencies and event organizers regarding whether preparations can proceed as scheduled. If the judge denies relief, the White House and the National Park Service preparations would continue toward Sunday’s event. If the judge grants a block, it could affect staffing, public access plans, and the use of federal property for the anniversary-related programming already underway.

The case also highlights how anniversary programming, public event authorizations, and environmental review requirements can intersect when events are planned on federal lands near high-profile government buildings, with plaintiffs seeking to test whether standard restrictions were properly applied to a major commercial sports production.