Overview

• The Aug. 22 summary-judgment motion asks the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to vacate the closure decisions and enter a permanent injunction.
• Plaintiffs submitted a 301-page set of undisputed facts detailing the executive order’s implementation and state-level impacts.
• Judge John J. McConnell Jr. previously issued a May 13 preliminary injunction restoring staffing and grant-making at IMLS, MBDA and FCRS.
• The record describes staff removals, Keith Sonderling’s installation as acting IMLS director, halted grant processing, a dormant research office, and the April 3 dismissal of the IMLS board.
• Plaintiffs cite FY2024 funding totals and concrete harms in Maine, Arizona, Delaware, Michigan and Massachusetts, while a separate D.C. case brought by ALA and AFSCME was denied a preliminary injunction on June 6.