The Trump administration removed MLK Day and Juneteenth from the National Park Service’s fee-free entry days list. This policy change took effect after the U.S. Department of the Interior’s December 2025 announcement modernising park access fees.
President Trump cannot cancel federal holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth without Congressional approval. Both remain among 12 official 2026 federal holidays, ensuring government employees receive paid time off.
MLK Day 2026 details
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed every year on the third Monday of January, near Dr. King’s birthday on January 15. It honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader who fought for racial equality and social justice through nonviolent activism.
King is best known for leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, where he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
The holiday encourages Americans to reflect on his message and often promotes community service, embodying King’s philosophy of making it “a day on, not a day off.” MLK Day is a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of justice, equality, and human rights in society.
King supported a sanitation workers’ strike when James Earl Ray shot him on a Lorraine Motel balcony. Ray pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, receiving 99 years before dying in prison in 1998.
Juneteenth background
Juneteenth is a U.S. holiday celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. It marks June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the last enslaved African Americans that they were free – two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth celebrates African American history, culture, and achievements.
Today, it is observed with parades, educational events, family gatherings, and cultural festivities, serving as a reminder of the nation’s ongoing journey toward equality and civil rights.
President Joe Biden signed it into federal law on June 17, 2021.
Policy change scope
Executive orders can modify federal holiday administration annually but cannot eliminate holidays established by Congress.
Visitors to national parks on these dates must pay standard entrance fees beginning January 1, 2026.
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