Attorney General Dan Rayfield secured a court order preventing the Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that support public libraries, museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses. This legal action follows a lawsuit filed in April by Rayfield and 20 other attorneys general against an Executive Order aimed at dissolving 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 granted a preliminary injunction to halt the implementation of this Executive Order. "These institutions are lifelines in communities in Oregon. The court’s ruling today is an important step in preventing real harm," stated Rayfield. He emphasized that libraries and museums are essential for education, cultural preservation, and economic opportunity.
The contested Executive Order represents another attempt by the Trump administration to dismantle federal agencies despite congressional approval. The injunction temporarily protects IMLS, MBDA, and FMCS from being disbanded:
- IMLS supports museums and libraries through grants, research, and policy development.
- MBDA promotes minority-owned businesses via federal financial assistance.
- FMCS facilitates peaceful labor dispute resolutions.
Rayfield argued that dismantling these agencies would severely impact communities reliant on their services across Oregon and nationwide. In particular, it would affect funding for local libraries in rural Oregon counties as well as programs like the Oregon Battle of the Books.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island,Vermont,Washingtion,and Wisconsin joined Rayfield in this legal effort.