District and federal court judges in Washington are used to handling some of the nation's thorniest issues, from complex deportation cases to the fates of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants and more.

But in the nearly two years since President Donald Trump returned to office, they have been adjudicating a litany of cases challenging construction projects he initiated to remake the nation's capital at a breakneck speed.

Judges accustomed to parsing the Constitution are now being forced to decide how many trees may be cut down or whether paint tests can proceed.