Attorney General Dan Rayfield has joined forces with 19 other attorneys general to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The coalition aims to prevent the dismantling of federal agencies that support public libraries, museums, minority-owned businesses, and workers.
The legal action comes in response to a March Executive Order by the Trump administration targeting three federal agencies for dismantling. These agencies include the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The Executive Order intends to terminate funding and support that these agencies provide across the country.
“This Executive Order is the administration’s latest attempt to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress. Attorney General Rayfield and the coalition are seeking to stop the dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order,” states the coalition.
Attorney General Rayfield criticized the move, highlighting its impact on communities, particularly underserved areas relying on these federal bodies. “These agencies provide essential resources for education, culture and economic growth, and Trump is stripping them away to score cheap political points,” Rayfield said. He added, “This is a deliberate attempt to erase the spaces where people learn, connect and thrive.”
The lawsuit argues that dismantling these agencies violates both the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. It asserts that the Executive Order unlawfully overrides laws governing federal funding, an action the president is not constitutionally empowered to undertake.
In Oregon, the withdrawal of support threatens local libraries, the Oregon State Library, and initiatives such as the Oregon Battle of the Books program, crucial for many, especially those in rural areas.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin have joined Rayfield in this legal challenge. Together, they emphasize the significance of these federal agencies in promoting education, minority business growth, and labor peace nationwide.