PHOENIX – Attorney General Mayes today 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 small businesses nationwide.
In April, Attorney General Mayes joined 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.
“This is yet another example of the Trump administration trying to tear down vital federal institutions,” said Attorney General Mayes. “In Arizona and across the country, rural libraries depend on this funding to serve their communities—whether it’s access to broadband, children’s reading programs, or job search assistance. I’m proud to stand with other attorneys general in fighting back—and winning—to protect these essential services.”
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 Mayes and the coalition asserted in the lawsuit, dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout the nation that rely on them to provide important services to the public, including funding their libraries and museums, supporting small business growth, and protecting workers’ rights.
The preliminary injunction granted today 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.
Joining AG Mayes in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
A copy of the order is below.