Former staff members of the U.S. Institute of Peace have asked a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from engraving President Trump’s name on the building’s facade in downtown Washington. In a filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, lawyers for the institute’s ousted leadership argued that adding Mr. Trump’s name would cause “irreparable harm” by undermining the organization’s independent mission, which they say is separate from the federal government. The request comes after Mr. Trump’s name was already adhered to the Institute of Peace building in December in large, silver letters alongside the existing engraving of the institute’s name.

A White House spokeswoman said at the time that the organization, which has essentially been defunct since March 2025, had been renamed the “Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace.” The White House and the State Department, which manages the building, did not immediately respond to questions about whether there were imminent plans to engrave Mr. Trump’s name there. Thursday’s motion is the latest development in ongoing legal battles over the Trump administration’s takeover of the peace-building nonprofit, which included firing staff and seizing the building with law enforcement support.

While legal proceedings continue, the administration maintains control of the institute and its headquarters along the National Mall.