A federal judge in Philadelphia ordered the Trump administration to reinstate displays commemorating the enslaved people held by President George Washington according to a February 16 ruling.

U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued a stern rebuke of the administration's desire "to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts."

The administration does not control historical facts, Rufe ruled.

The National Park Service and Department of the Interior said they plan to file an appeal. "We disagree with the court's ruling," their statement said. "The National Park Service routinely updates exhibits across the park system to ensure historical accuracy and completeness."

Called Rufe's ruling an "unnecessary judicial intervention." Said they plan to install "updated interpretive materials providing a fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall" sometime "in the coming days."

What Got Removed

Signage identifying nine enslaved people and describing life for 18th-century Black Philadelphians got dismantled January 22 by federal workers acting on President Trump's orders.

The President's House parcel sits at 6th and Market streets, steps from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. This is where Washington lived when Philadelphia was the U.S. capital. Records show he kept enslaved people there.

The displays honored those nine enslaved people.

Part of a Broader Pattern

Dismantling the displays is part of a broader Trump administration effort aimed at "ending DEI programs and gender ideology extremism" and "restoring truth and sanity to American history."

A year ago, references to transgender people got scrubbed from Stonewall National Monument's website. Earlier in February, a pride flag got removed from that site. Other signage at national sites relating to Native Americans' displacement and climate change have come under scrutiny too.

The Legal Argument

Judge Rufe cited George Orwell's "1984" and its fictional state's motto that "ignorance is strength." She sided with the City of Philadelphia.

The city said a 1948 law and a 1950 agreement between the city and the federal government required the National Park Service to get the city's permission before making changes to the site.

The federal government didn't ask permission. They just removed the displays on Trump's orders.

Michael Coard's Reaction

Michael Coard worked for two decades to recognize the contribution of those enslaved people. He was "ecstatic" when he heard about the judge's ruling.

He had just left a rally in support of the displays when he heard the news.

"This comes as a surprise for a number of reasons — not only that it happened, but that it happened on the date that it happened (on President's Day)," he said.

Coard and his group, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, are "optimistic but also pragmatic." The federal government has 30 days to appeal.

Rufe's ruling didn't give a date for restoration of the displays. Coard, an attorney, expects the Trump administration to request a stay pending an appeal. That would allow the signage to remain in storage.

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