Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected a petition seeking to halt construction of an Obama Foundation library to be built on Chicago’s South Side, the latest in a string of judgments by the Trump appointee sure to draw fire from the Right.
The justice, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in the waning months of his administration, rejected the last-ditch bid for injunctive relief from groups based out of Chicago and individuals who argued the construction should be blocked due to environmental concerns, according to the court’s webpage.
Plaintiffs on the case alleged federal, state, and local governments illegally separated the project into smaller segments in order to avoid a more robust assessment on its environmental impact. The petition was also filed on the same day the project began construction. On Monday, builders broke ground for the library, which is part of the Obama Presidential Center project.
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER APPROVED TO BREAK GROUND IN 2021
In addition to the library, the Obama Presidential Center is slated to include a museum and a variety of outdoor parks, as well as recreation activities for families.
One of the advocacy groups leading the petition was Protect Our Parks, which sued the city of Chicago in 2018, alleging officials could not authorize the transfer of public parkland to a private nongovernmental entity such as former President Barack Obama‘s foundation.
“We still believe that preserving the status quo is fundamental to preventing irreparable harm in Jackson Park. Nonetheless, our core arguments seek to protect the long-term environmental and historical resources in Jackson Park, and we look forward to presenting our evidence and these arguments in the appellate and district court in the coming weeks,” the group said following Friday’s ruling, according to a statement obtained by NBC News.
The petition rejection follows previous rejections from a lower court in May 2018 and an additional prior failure at the Supreme Court level in April to block the library’s construction.
Obama Foundation Chief Engagement Officer Michael Strautmanis defended the city’s approval for the project’s construction in February, saying a “vast majority” of community members and officials agreed the vetting of the site’s development was extensive, adding, “We encourage everyone to accept this decision.”
Barrett’s role as a Supreme Court justice allows her to respond unilaterally to emergency matters stemming from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, a function that has drawn controversy in recent weeks.
Though the Trump-nominated justice was criticized heavily for her past conservative and religious viewpoints prior to her appointment to the high court, her recent rulings have bristled the right-leaning base that supported her appointment in the first place.
Earlier this month, Barrett refused to block a plan by Indiana University to require students and employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, marking the first time the courts weighed in on a vaccine mandate for COVID-19. Her response rang as contrary to the policies of GOP governors in Arizona, Florida, and Texas, who imposed bans on institutions requiring face masks in schools and other indoor sites.
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In June, Barrett joined the court’s 7-2 majority that voted to uphold the Affordable Care Act, despite opponents of Barrett’s nomination expressing concern that she’d vote to gut the law if she assumed the bench.
The Washington Examiner contacted Protect Our Parks and the Obama Foundation but did not immediately receive a response.
