Maryland's latest lawsuit against President Donald Trump aims to stop him from gutting three federal agencies that support libraries and museums.
Attorney General Anthony Brown, along with a coalition of AGs, recently filed the lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from dismantling the The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service .
President Trump signed an executive order back in March in effort to begin the process of dismantling the agencies, causing the IMLS to place its staff on administrative leave and begin cutting hundreds of grants for Maryland libraries and museums.
“We’re bringing this lawsuit to help protect the resources Marylanders rely on—grants that keep libraries and museums open, federal financial assistance for small businesses, and labor dispute resolution services that help sustain America’s economy,” said Attorney General Brown. “We're fighting to preserve these resources, especially in communities that have been historically underserved, because allowing the Trump administration to destroy them harms us all.”
The IMLS, created by a Republican-led Congress back in 1996, has touted its mission to support museums and libraries nationwide.
WMAR-2 News caught up with Morgan Lehr-Miller, a Maryland State Librarian, who discussed how libraries are "anchor institutions in their community."
She also couldn't figure out why Trump deemed the agencies as "unnecessary."
"I can't say precisely why, but I can say that is especially unfortunate because there is no institution that is more deeply rooted and connected to its communities and the people who live in them than a local public library system," Lehr-Miller said.
RELATED: Federal cuts threaten library programs statewide
A sentiment that is also shared by the AG's Office.
"Dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout Maryland and the nation that rely on them to provide important services to the public, including funding their libraries, promoting minority-owned businesses, and protecting workers’ rights."
On top of possible community impacts, the EO threatens hundreds of library staff across the country.
The coalition also argues that Trump's executive order violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act, and claims that the executive order unconstitutionally overrides Congress' power to decide how federal funds are spent.
