21 Attorneys General file lawsuit against Trump administration to protect libraries and museums
On April 4, 2025, a group of 21 U.S State Attorneys General came together to sue the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of three federal agencies that provide critical services and funding for public libraries and museums, small businesses, and workers nationwide.
In March, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order that would dismantle federal agencies created by Congress that collectively provide hundreds of millions of dollars for programs in every state. As a result of this Executive Order, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – one of the targeted agencies – has placed almost its entire staff on administrative leave and began cutting hundreds of grants for state libraries and museums. The lawsuit filed by Attorneys General from the Democratic States seeks to stop the administration’s dismantling of the IMLS and two other agencies on which millions of Americans rely, especially those in underserved communities.
“The Institute of Museum and Library Services helps to ensure that art, culture, history and literacy are accessible for all,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “Illegally cutting grants jeopardizes critical library programs across the state that make library materials available to smaller communities and provide education and access to technology for underserved youth. Attempting to dismantle agencies created by Congress is a continuation of this administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful overreach.”
“We’re bringing this lawsuit to help protect the resources Marylanders rely on – grants that keep libraries and museums open, federal financial assistance for small businesses, and labor dispute resolution services that help sustain America’s economy,” said MarylandAttorney General Anthony G. Brown. “We’re fighting to preserve these resources, especially in communities that have been historically underserved, because allowing the Trump administration to destroy them harms us all.”
This Executive Order is the administration’s latest attempt to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress. Attorney General Brown and the coalition are seeking to stop the dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order:
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which supports museums and libraries nationwide through grantmaking, research, and policy development;
- The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which promotes the growth and inclusion of small businesses in historically underserved communities through federal financial assistance programs; and
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which promotes peaceful resolution of labor disputes.
As the coalition asserts in its lawsuit, dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout Maryland 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. The administration’s action will threaten hundreds of library staff across the country that provide essential services to their communities.
The move against the library agency has drawn particular outcry. Dozens of library groups have issued statements condemning it as an attack on institutions that serve a broad swath of the public in every state. Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, said in a statement that the targeting of the three agencies was “an attack on vulnerable communities, small businesses and our children’s education.” ~ The New York Times
In addition, the Trump administration has cut the staff of MBDA from 40 to just five individuals and has effectively stopped issuing new grants, hurting vulnerable small businesses across the country. The FMCS has slashed its staff from roughly 200 to fewer than 15 individuals and announced the termination of several of its core programs, making it harder for unionized workers to secure their rights.
The coalition argues that the Executive Order violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by eliminating the programs of agencies without any regard for the laws and regulations that govern each source of federal funding. The coalition also argues that the president cannot decide to unilaterally override laws governing federal spending, and that this Executive Order unconstitutionally overrides Congress’s power to decide how federal funds are spent.
Those States comprising the coalition filing this latest lawsuit against the Trump administration consists of the attorneys general from the great states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
You can view the complete lawsuit here
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(Source: The Office of the Maryland Attorney General)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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