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A federal judge has blocked President Trump’s attempt to dismantle three federal agencies.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, back in March, President Trump signed an executive order that moved to shut down seven small federal agencies, including the Minority Business Development Agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The order directed that these agencies be reduced “to the minimum presence and function required by law,” effectively aiming to dismantle them entirely. Trump justified the move as part of his broader agenda to reduce the size of the federal government, cut spending, and eliminate what he called “wasteful” programs. This effort follows a familiar pattern, such as his attempts to cut USAID and restructure it.
What’s going on now: Following a lawsuit filed by 21 Democrat-led states, U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s executive order targeting the IMLS, MBDA, and FMCS. The states essentially argued that President Trump had overstepped his constitutional authority by attempting to shut down agencies that Congress had lawfully established and funded. They claimed the dismantling would cause immediate and lasting harm to public services such as libraries and small business support.
Judge McConnell agreed, ruling that the executive order violated both the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution’s separation of powers, which reserves the power of appropriation and agency creation to Congress.
In a strongly worded opinion, McConnell said that the executive branch cannot unilaterally override legislative decisions, writing that the order “disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government.” He dismissed the Trump administration’s argument that the states lacked standing to sue and that the case belonged in the Court of Federal Claims, instead siding with the plaintiffs who presented evidence of ongoing harm—such as program shutdowns, personnel reductions, and halted services—resulting from the executive order.
While the judge halted the implementation of the order for the three named agencies, he did not outline immediate corrective steps. Instead, he instructed the states and the Trump administration to work together to draft a more detailed injunction for his approval.
