New Delhi, April 1 -- A federal judge on Tuesday directed the Trump administration to halt construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, ruling that work cannot continue without approval from Congress after the East Wing was demolished for the project.

"The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!" wrote the judge, reported AP.

US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group's request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project.

Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, concluded that the National Trust...