In a significant legal victory, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office successfully blocked the elimination of four federal agencies that provide support for public libraries, museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses across the nation, securing a permanent injunction against the Trump administration’s dismantling efforts.
The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a motion for summary judgment brought by Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general, permanently preventing the Trump administration from proceeding with its plan to dismantle the agencies through executive action.
The four agencies protected by the court ruling include the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides grants and policy support to museums and libraries nationwide; the Minority Business Development Agency, which aids minority-owned businesses through federal financial assistance and technical support; the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which facilitates peaceful resolution of labour disputes between employers and unions; and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates federal efforts to combat homelessness across multiple agencies.
The legal confrontation began in March when the Trump administration issued an executive order directing the dismantling of these agencies, which collectively administer hundreds of millions of dollars in federal programmes serving communities nationwide.
Brown and the coalition of attorneys general filed a lawsuit in April challenging the executive order, arguing that it violated both the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine and the Administrative Procedure Act by attempting to override congressional authority over federal agencies and appropriations. In May, they secured a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking implementation of the order whilst the case proceeded. In June, they amended the lawsuit to include the US Interagency Council on Homelessness after the administration expanded its dismantling efforts.
The District Court’s decision confirmed that the administration’s actions were unlawful and issued a permanent injunction barring any future attempts to eliminate the agencies through executive action, establishing that only Congress possesses the authority to create or abolish federal agencies.
Brown was joined in the lawsuit by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin, a coalition representing states across geographic and political divides united in defending congressional authority over federal agency structure.
The ruling represents a significant check on executive power, reaffirming that presidents cannot unilaterally eliminate federal agencies created by Congress regardless of their policy preferences, a constitutional principle that constrains executive branch authority whilst preserving legislative control over government structure and spending.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services provides critical funding supporting public libraries and museums that serve as educational and cultural resources in communities nationwide, particularly in rural and underserved areas where such institutions may lack sufficient local funding. The agency’s elimination would have threatened these institutions’ ability to maintain collections, provide programming, and offer services including internet access and literacy programmes.
The Minority Business Development Agency assists minority-owned businesses through financial assistance programmes, technical support, and policy advocacy designed to address historical and ongoing barriers these enterprises face in accessing capital, contracts, and markets. Eliminating the agency would have removed federal resources specifically dedicated to supporting businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service provides neutral third-party mediation services helping employers and labour unions resolve disputes peacefully rather than through strikes or lockouts that disrupt businesses, workers, and communities. The agency’s work prevents economic disruption whilst maintaining constructive labour-management relationships.
The US Interagency Council on Homelessness coordinates federal homelessness policy across multiple agencies including Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and others, ensuring coherent strategies rather than fragmented approaches. Its elimination would have removed the coordinating mechanism aligning federal resources addressing a crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of Americans.
