LANSING – Today, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel secured two preliminary injunctions halting illegal actions by the Trump Administration aimed at dismantling critical federal programs and prematurely ending essential education funding.  

“Stripping federal funding and dismantling congressionally funded agencies has become a troubling and unlawful pattern within the Trump White House,” Nessel said. “Eliminating agencies that support local public and school libraries and halting projects that keep classrooms warm, ventilated, and safe is not just harmful to our communities and students – it's illegal. I'm grateful two separate Courts agreed, and we secured relief to protect students, libraries, and other vital programming across our state. I will continue to stand up and fight for Michiganders.”  

The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a preliminary injunction (PDF) to prevent the dismantling of three federal agencies that provide services and funding that support public libraries and museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide. Attorney General Nessel joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in April in suing the Trump Administration for attempting to illegally eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service – congressionally created agencies. 

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York also granted a preliminary injunction (PDF) in a separate case. The lawsuit challenged the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) decision, communicated on March 28, 2025, to abruptly end the period of time for education agencies to use congressionally appropriated funding to mitigate the immediate and long-term impacts of the pandemic on K-12 students. DOE attempted to prohibit the use of funds despite ongoing construction and mitigation efforts that were set to continue through March 2026, the previously approved deadline. The court’s order prevents DOE from enforcing its decision to rescind the ability for school districts to use the funding – originally appropriated by Congress through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan.