California Attorney General Rob Bonta has obtained a permanent injunction from the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, blocking efforts by the Trump Administration to dismantle several federal agencies that support museums, libraries, minority-owned businesses, labor mediation, and homelessness prevention. The court found that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the Take Care Clause, and the Separation of Powers doctrine by attempting to make these changes without Congressional approval.
Attorney General Bonta commented on the decision: “More and more, courts are rejecting — definitively and permanently — the Trump Administration’s illegal efforts to dismantle our government agencies and strip away the vital services they provide. Our museums and libraries are how we pass along our knowledge, heritage, and history to each successive generation. I’m proud to protect these important institutions from President Trump’s misguided attacks. As the President seeks to censor speech he does not like, California will continue to defend the free flow of knowledge.”
The legal action began in April 2025 when Bonta joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against an executive order issued by former President Trump. The order directed agencies such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Minority Business Development Agency, and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to eliminate all functions not strictly required by law and reduce staff accordingly. It also instructed the Office of Management and Budget to withhold federal funds allocated by Congress for any activities beyond those minimum requirements.
The court’s ruling now permanently prevents implementation of this executive order concerning these agencies.
