Restore IMLS: ALA Goes to Court

April 2026 update: ALA and our co-plaintiff AFSCME signed a binding settlement agreement with the Trump Administration to keep IMLS intact and protect against future attempts to dismantle the agency, achieving victory for libraries and ending our legal case. The Trump Administration also withdrew its appeal in a separate, related federal court case, ensuring a judge's orders to reinstate IMLS are now permanent. This page will be updated in the coming days as ALA assesses the impacts. Previously, on December 3, 2025, the Institute of Museum and Library Services reinstated all canceled federal grants for libraries after a ruling in a separate lawsuit brought by 21 state Attorneys General.

A March 14, 2025, Executive Order effectively began the process of eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to the nation’s libraries and museums. While constituting less than .003 of the federal budget, the nonpartisan Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provides essential support for our nation’s 125,000 public, K12 school, higher education, and other libraries.

As the country celebrated National Library Week, the ALA and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) asked a federal judge on April 7 to halt the dismantling of IMLS and filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit that was initiated on behalf of ALA and AFSCME by Democracy Forward and co-counsel Gair Gallo Eberhard LLP. On May 1, 2025, a federal court granted a temporary restraining order to halt the administration’s gutting of IMLS. The ruling temporarily prevents any further actions that would affect staff or grants, including the mass layoffs of nearly all IMLS staff that were originally scheduled to begin May 4.

In a separate lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of 21 states, on May 14, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to reverse all steps the agency previously had taken to implement the executive order, restoring IMLS employees and contractors who were placed on leave or terminated, ordering the administration not to cancel grants, and to resume processing of payments to grantees in the 21 plaintiff states.

On June 6, a federal judge in Washington issued a ruling on ALA's request for a preliminary injunction in our ongoing legal case. After fully briefing the case in the fall and winter, ALA and our partners expect a ruling on the merits in 2026.

These are significant steps forward—but the fight is far from over. While the courts consider the merits of our case, we can't lose sight of the future of funding for IMLS.

ALA FAQ on the Trump Administration's Executive Order

Tell Congress to support IMLS and #FundLibraries