Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has joined 20 other state attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle three federal agencies that support public libraries, museums, workers and minority-owned businesses.
The 58-page lawsuit was filed Friday in Rhode Island and follows an executive order issued last month.
It alleges the order is “the administration’s latest attempt to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress.”
The suit claims that “dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout Maine and the nation that rely on them,” according to a statement from Frey’s office.
In March, Trump issued an executive order targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which supports museums and libraries across the country through grants, research and policy development; the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which assists minority-owned businesses; and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which promotes resolution of labor disputes.
“The administration’s action will threaten hundreds of library staff across the country who provide essential services to their communities,” Frey’s office said.
According to the statement, the administration has reduced MBDA staff from 40 to five, while FMCS has cut its staff from about 200 to fewer than 15 and announced the termination of several core programs.
The lawsuit is led by the attorneys general of New York, Rhode Island, and Hawaii, and joined by those from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
