A fresh clash has emerged between the executive branch and the federal court system, this time over who should control the nation’s courthouses.
The administration of Donald Trump is resisting an effort by the judiciary to take over management of its own buildings, arguing that the court system lacks the expertise required to oversee a vast federal real estate portfolio.
At the center of the dispute is the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency that has long acted as the landlord for government offices, including courthouses. In a sharply worded letter, the agency’s administrator, Edward Forst, said the judiciary is “ill-equipped” to handle the responsibilities of managing such properties.
The comments followed a move by the judiciary’s policymaking body, the Judicial Conference of the United States, which recently asked Congress to shift authority over courthouse buildings away from the GSA and into the hands of the courts themselves.
Forst said handing that authority to the judiciary would raise concerns about spending oversight. According to figures cited by the agency, the courts accounted for about 21% of rent paid to the GSA for federally owned buildings between 2021 and 2025, yet facilities occupied by the judiciary represented roughly 43% of spending on major repairs and alterations during the same period.
He said those numbers prompted a new review of maintenance and repair requests to ensure that public funds are being used appropriately.
The judiciary, however, argues that the current system is failing. Officials say courthouse infrastructure has been deteriorating for years and requires billions of dollars in overdue repairs. In communications with lawmakers, the courts have described a growing backlog of building upgrades and security improvements.
The federal judiciary currently operates out of 396 government-owned buildings and 379 leased spaces across the country. Together, those facilities cost about $1.3 billion annually in rent paid to the GSA.
The courts’ proposal envisions a gradual transition rather than an immediate takeover. Under the plan, the judiciary would begin by managing a limited number of large courthouse properties in no more than ten districts, expanding the program only if the initial phase proves successful.
Tensions have intensified as broader changes within the GSA reshape the agency. Workforce reductions and internal restructuring have slowed maintenance projects and left some courthouses without on-site building managers, according to court officials.
Meanwhile, cost-cutting initiatives across the federal government—linked in part to efforts driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—have included proposals to cancel leases or even sell some courthouse properties.
Court administrators say those developments have worsened existing problems, arguing that delays in security upgrades and building maintenance have left courthouse conditions increasingly strained.
The dispute now sits before Congress, which must decide whether the judiciary should remain a tenant of the executive branch—or become its own landlord.
