News Roundup, Resources: Lawsuit Filed Over Cuts to IMLS, Federal Agencies

Last Update: 3:15pm Eastern on Friday, November 21, 2025 

From the Judgment (1 page; PDF):

Judgment hereby enters for the Plaintiffs State of Rhode Island, et al. and against Defendants Donald J. Trump, et al. pursuant to the Memorandum and Order entered on November 21st, 2025 by this Court.

Direct to Memorandum and Order
47 pages; PDF. 

—-End Update—-

From Library Journal:

On Friday, April 4 attorneys general from 20 states filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration to stop the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as well as the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The lawsuit states, “The sudden halting of the agencies’ work after decades of close cooperation will immediately put at risk hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding on which the States depend, and undermine library programs, economic opportunity, and the free flow of commerce throughout the country.”

Read the Complete Article

More From The Art Newspaper:

The lawsuit, filed Friday (4 April) by the top legal officers for states including California, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and more, comes after most of the agency’s employees were placed on administrative leave on March 31. The 85% reduction in staff followed Trump’s executive order naming the agency as one of several federal bodies to be “eliminated to the maximum extent of applicable law”.

“The Trump administration is once again violating the US Constitution and the rule of law by attempting to unilaterally shut down agencies the president doesn’t like, including agencies that give the public access to facts, knowledge, and cultural heritage for free or at low cost,” Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, said in a statement. “Dismantling these agencies would have a devastating impact on the public and on states across the nation—they provide important services for Americans and collectively provide billions of dollars to states to support libraries and museums, innovation and entrepreneurship for disadvantaged businesses, and help resolve labor disputes.”

Read the Complete Article

Statements From Government, Organizations, & Others

• Americans For the Arts
• EveryLibrary
• WI: Dept. of Public Instruction

Legal Filings (via RECAP/CourtListener)

• Complaint
• Exhibit A:  IMLS HR Letter
• Exhibit B: IMLS E-Mail
• Complete Docket (and Additional Filings)

 Statements by Attorneys General (by State)

• AZ
• CA
  
• CA #2
• CO
• CT
• IL
• MA
• ME
• MI
• MN
• NJ
• NY
• OR
• RI
• VT
• WA
• WI

Local Media Reports (by State)

• AZ: Arizona AG Mayes Joins States to Sue Trump Over Nih, Library Funding (via AZ Family)
• CA: California Sues To Block Trump Effort To Shutter Federal Agencies, Including Key Museum Funder (via SD U-T)
• CT: AGs, Including Tong, Sue Trump Over Agency Closures via CT Mirror)
• MI: Michigan AG Dana Nessel Joins Lawsuit Against Trump Administration to Protect Funding For Libraries (via Click on Detroit)
• ME: Maine Joins Another Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration (via WMTW)
• SD: State Library Faces Trump Threat to Federal Funding After Escaping the Noem Knife (via SD Searchlight)
• WI: Wisconsin Attorney General Sues Trump to Stop Dismantling Of Funding Supporting Libraries And Museums (via Milwaukee Journal)

National Media Reports

• States Sue Over Trump Dismantling of Small Federal Agencies (via Bloomberg News)

See Also: InfoDOCKET roundup of more than 50 statements by library, museum, arts, and other organizations responding to the Executive Order Impacting The Institute Of Museum And Library Services (IMLS).

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Associations and Organizations, Funding, Libraries, News, Reports, Roundup