Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with 20 other state attorneys general, has obtained a permanent court order preventing the dismantling of four federal agencies that support public libraries, museums, workers, minority-owned businesses, and homelessness prevention programs. The coalition filed a lawsuit in April following an Executive Order from the Trump Administration that aimed to eliminate several agencies established by Congress.
The affected agencies include the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which provides grants and policy support to museums and libraries; the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which assists minority-owned businesses; the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which works on resolving labor disputes; and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), which collaborates with various organizations to address homelessness.
A preliminary injunction had previously been secured in May to halt the dismantlement process while legal proceedings continued.
“Local libraries are invaluable to our communities, and I am relieved the Court has once again ruled in our favor, ensuring federal agencies that provide important services can continue to operate,” Nessel said. “Time and again, the White House has tried to illegally dismantle federal agencies and programs created by Congress, and time and again, my colleagues and I have successfully halted these actions, proving just how crucial litigation against unlawful actions by the Trump Administration is. We remain committed to defending the institutions and services our residents rely on.”
The attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin joined Nessel in securing this permanent injunction.
