A temporary restraining order was issued by the U.S. District Court to block the Trump Administration‘s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The decision was granted in response to a lawsuit that was filed by the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). They were seeking a preliminary injunction against the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) dismissal of most of the IMLS’s 75-person staff last month.
The news hardly comes as a surprise, given the judge’s inclination to rule against the IMLS shutdown. The temporary restraining order was issued just days ahead of a mass layoff of nearly all IMLS employees that was slated to take effect on May 4.
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“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,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said in a statement.
“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,” Hohl continued.
Established in 1996, IMLS provides resources to museums and libraries across all 50 states and territories. Also under its purview are the Institute of Museum Services and the Library Programs Office. It is the only dedicated federal agency to American libraries and museums.
On March 14, Trump issued an executive order that called IMLS “unnecessary” and mandated that it, as well as six other federal agencies, “be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” As a result, the staff was placed on administrative leave, grants were terminated, and the IMLS board members were dismissed.