Washington – Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a temporary restraining order to block the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The decision was issued in response to a lawsuitfiled by the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), represented by Democracy Forward and Gair Gallo Eberhard LLP.
IMLS is the only federal agency dedicated to the nation’s libraries and museums. On March 14, President Trump issued Executive Order 14238, which directed the elimination of the agency. Subsequently, the Trump Administration laid off nearly all agency staff, began mass termination of the agency’s grants, dismissed all members of the IMLS board, and halted crucial data collections and research. These actions left IMLS unable to fulfill its duties required by federal law and threw libraries across the country into a state of chaos.
ALA President Cindy Hohl said, “The immediate halt to the gutting of IMLS is a win for America’s libraries and the millions of Americans who rely on them. ALA is encouraged that the court recognizes the immediacy of the need for IMLS and library services at risk. The temporary restraining order will stop the dismantling of IMLS while the court considers the merits in this case.
The temporary restraining order was issued days before the mass layoff of nearly all IMLS employees was set to take effect on May 4.
ALA President Hohl continued, “Even with a temporary restraining order in place, Congress also must act to ensure our nation’s libraries can continue to serve their communities, including by funding IMLS for next year.”
Parallel to its efforts to preserve IMLS through litigation, ALA mounted a campaign to secure funding for the agency in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. ALA is currently asking advocates to request their Congressmembers to demonstrate their commitment to library funding by signing congressional “Dear Appropriator” letters in support of IMLS funding next year. The window for Congressmembers to sign on to the FY 2026 library funding letters is expected to close in mid-May.
“There is one final wall of defense against destruction of federal funding for libraries,” said Hohl: “constituents who tell elected leaders to continue providing libraries the federal resources that bring opportunity to millions of Americans. Right now is prime time for every American to show up for our libraries by urging their Senators and Representatives to sign ‘Dear Appropriator’ letters in support of federal library funding.”
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The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America’s libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.
Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
AFSCME’s 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.