Federal Judge Halts Trump's Agency Closures
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempts to close three key federal agencies, ruling in favor of nearly two dozen states.
In a significant ruling, U.S. District Judge John McConnell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has intervened to stop President Donald Trump from dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The decision came after a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen Democratic-led states argued that the closures violated the separation of powers. Judge McConnell’s ruling emphasized the importance of the constitutional roles of each branch of government, stating, “It … disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated.” The judge rejected claims from Trump administration attorneys that the states lacked standing to sue, and highlighted the immediate and certain harms resulting from the agencies’ dismantling. Earlier this year, McConnell also blocked a nationwide freeze on federal grants by the Trump administration, further illustrating the ongoing legal challenges to Trump’s policies.