Judge bars Trump administration from shrinking agencies that fund
libraries, settle labor disputes
[May 07, 2025]
By REBECCA BOONE
A federal judge has temporarily barred President Donald Trump's
administration from dramatically shrinking three agencies that fund
libraries across the U.S., settle labor disputes with public sector
workers, and support state business contracting programs.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell, Jr. in Rhode Island said Trump can't
unilaterally end the funding and programs for the Institute of Museum
and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency and the
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. All three agencies were
established by Congress.
The agencies carried out the cuts under the direction of an executive
order from Trump. In Tuesday's preliminary injunction, McConnell said
the actions were likely arbitrary and capricious because the agencies
weren't able to provide more than “vague” justifications for the
sweeping cuts.
“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the
branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the
unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates
funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends
the funds Congress appropriated,” McConnell wrote.
Twenty-one states sued over Trump’s March 14 executive order, which
directed the agencies to eliminate every program that isn't mandated by
law and to cut staffers and all other functions to the bare minimum
allowed by statute. The states said the “shredding” of the agencies puts
hundreds of millions of dollars of grant funding at risk and hurts the
general public. Threatened programs include a braille library in
Washington, a literacy program in California, and a program supporting
veterans in Rhode Island, according to the lawsuit.
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The logo for the Minority Business Development Agency is seen on
their website on a computer in New York, Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
(AP Photo/Sydney Schaefer, file)
But attorneys for the government told the judge that the lawsuit is
too broad, in part because some of the states are contending that
specific grants have been terminated but others are simply
anticipating future increased costs or that some grants may not be
renewed.
In some cases, U.S. Department of Justice attorneys wrote in court
filings, the various grant recipients haven't even requested payment
of the grants yet. Disputes over personnel claims, like employee
terminations or reductions in force, must first be litigated before
other entities before they can be brought to federal court, the
attorneys wrote, suggesting the states were trying to "jump the
line.”
The ruling is consistent with one handed down last week in a similar
case out of Washington, D.C.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon also temporarily stopped the Trump
administration from shuttering the Institute of Museum and Library
Services.
Leon said the American Library Association and the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees were likely to
succeed in their lawsuit contending that Trump doesn’t have the
legal authority to shut down the congressionally created agency.
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