Attorney General James Wins Court Order Protecting Federal Agencies Supporting Libraries, Museums, Minority-Owned Businesses, and Workers  

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James won a court order stopping the Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide. In April, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the implementation of an Executive Order that would dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island today issued an order granting the states’ request for a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump administration from implementing the Executive Order and protecting the three agencies.

“These agencies provide critical support to help minority-owned businesses, protect workers’ rights, and make sure our libraries and museums continue to serve our communities,” said Attorney General James. “The administration’s attack on these agencies is illegal, and today we put a stop to it. I will continue to fight back against this administration’s chaos and destruction of basic services that New Yorkers depend on.”

This Executive Order is another example of the Trump administration attempting to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress. The preliminary injunction granted today halts the dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order:

• IMLS, which supports museums and libraries nationwide through grantmaking, research, and policy development;
• MBDA, which promotes the growth and inclusion of minority-owned businesses through federal financial assistance programs; and
• FMCS, which promotes the peaceful resolution of labor disputes.

As Attorney General James and the coalition asserted in the lawsuit, dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout New York and the nation that rely on them to provide important services to the public, including funding their libraries, promoting minority-owned businesses, and protecting workers’ rights.

In 2024, IMLS invested $180 million in libraries nationwide under its Grants to States Program. New York received over $8 million, which helped to fund literacy programs for children and adults, provided training for over 200,000 library staff across New York’s 7,000 libraries, improved internet access in libraries, and paid the salaries of two-thirds of New York State Library employees. The administration’s action will threaten hundreds of library staff across the country who provide essential services to their communities.

The preliminary injunction halts the Trump administration’s Executive Order as it applies to IMLS, MBDA, and FMCS. The court found that the states had established a strong likelihood of success on their claims that the Executive Order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and disregards the Constitution by attempting to dismantle agencies that Congress established and funded by law. 

This lawsuit is led by Attorney General James and the attorneys general of Rhode Island and Hawaii. Joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.