The ruling largely blocked homeland security agents from carrying out field interviews in nine states, including California, as part of a sprawling effort to find noncitizens registered to vote.
Government attorneys sparred with Judge Ana C. Reyes over testimony by several government witnesses about the chain of decisions surrounding East Potomac Golf Links.
The plan to begin work transforming the course in four weeks injected fresh urgency into a federal lawsuit opposing changes to East Potomac Golf Links.
A three-judge panel appeared unconvinced by claims that a federal law requiring the president to preserve and hand over his presidential papers was unconstitutional.