Attorney General Neronha, coalition secure preliminary injunction order to protect libraries, workers, and small businesses

Published on Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Attorney General Neronha today announced that a Rhode Island court entered a preliminary injunction order to stop the dismantling of three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers, and small businesses nationwide. This order follows the court’s granting of a preliminary injunction filed by Attorney General Neronha’s office and a coalition of 19 other attorneys general.

“This order tells the Trump Administration, in no uncertain terms, that it must immediately end the dismantling of these important agencies and resume the disbursement of allocated funding, and fast,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Americans have quickly grown weary of their government attacking them instead of working for them. Above all else, as attorneys general, we have an obligation to protect the residents of our states from harm even when, perhaps especially when, it comes from the federal government. With this order and many others, we are stopping this President in his tracks, and we will continue to fight every single step of the way.”

Last week, Attorney General Neronha released the following statement after the court granted the states’ motion for a preliminary injunction.

“Today’s preliminary injunction is a critical win for the public interest. When the Trump Administration attempts to dismantle these agencies, it is making a targeted, concerted effort to prohibit everyday people from accessing their full potential. They know that these agencies represent opportunities for the American people to better themselves through limitless and free access knowledge, workers’ rights, and small business support. This Administration also knows that suppressing and stifling access to opportunity helps them maintain and expand their power. We won’t let them, and neither should you.

“This year, I have traveled across the state and listened to Rhode Islanders who are concerned about what the future holds. While I don’t have all the answers, I often point to days like today as examples of attorneys general across the country taking swift, aggressive action in the face of unlawful federal behavior, and our courts ultimately upholding the rule of law. We’ve won many times before; we won today; and we will win in the future.”

Attorney General Neronha co-led this lawsuit with Attorney General Letitia James of New York and Attorney General Anne Lopez of Hawaii. Joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

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