Rhode Island Court Blocks Trump Order to Dismantle Four Agencies

The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a permanent injunction preventing the Trump administration from dismantling four federal agencies. These include the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled that the executive branch violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the Separation of Powers doctrine, and the U.S. Constitution's Take Care Clause. The court found that the administration attempted to eliminate these agencies without necessary congressional approval, effectively blocking four of the seven cuts outlined in President Donald Trump's March 14 executive order, Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.

The ruling concludes a legal challenge initiated on April 4 by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general. Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with officials from Hawaii and Rhode Island, the coalition argued that the federal government's actions threatened vital resources for small businesses, workers, and vulnerable populations.