California sues Trump administration after funding for critical library services threatened | Governor of California

Apr 7, 2025, Governor of California

Sacramento, California – As National Library Week begins, Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration after millions of dollars in grants to state libraries were terminated abruptly through the Trump administration’s efforts to illegally shutter the agency that administers them.

This threatens federal funding to California libraries that support library staff and critical library programs, including literacy and language tutoring and summer reading and activity programs.

Across the country, libraries, the cornerstones of our communities, are under attack. Libraries are places where children learn, where families gather, where anyone, regardless of income or background, can access tools to learn and explore. 

To threaten libraries is to strip communities of free resources and opportunity. In California, we’re fighting to ensure everyone has access to the power and promise that libraries provide. —First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom 

“Our libraries are hubs for learning, civic engagement, and community. They provide important services to Californians, from kids summer reading and meal programs, to programs that help families, seniors, and veterans navigate an increasingly digital world,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “On Friday, we sued the Trump Administration for unlawfully attempting to shutter the Institute of Museum and Library Services—a federal agency that supports libraries across the nation. This National Library Week, we recognize the essential role that libraries play in our communities and to preserve our rich cultural heritage, and vow to continue the fight to ensure that all Californians can access the public services libraries provide our communities every day.”

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