The Woodmere Museum of Art in Philadelphia reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday Bloomberg Law. The museum is expected to receive a $750,000 grant from its historic preservation program.
In March, President Trump signed an executive order to “continue to reduce federal bureaucracy” that calls for “eliminating IML to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” within seven days. The order follows another order that shortens seven federal agencies, including IML.
Woodmere “has been scrambling to complete its “America 250” exhibition since then, which will terminate its IMLS grant in April, according to a complaint filed by the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania.
In 2024, Woodmere awarded a $750,000 grant through IMLS’s “Save America’s Treasures” program to revamp the museum’s catalog system and digital works for exhibitions to mark the country’s 250th anniversary.
Reimbursement for grants is allocated quarterly, and Woodmere has received approximately $195,000 in grants so far. However, IMLS staff cuts have prevented the agency from further providing grants and allocating funds.
The museum has signed several contracts to complete the work by September 30. It is seeking to stop the ban from IMLS and the Office of Management and Budget and follow the March executive order to end the grant.
In June, the Government Accountability Agency (GAO) determined that the Trump administration’s withholding funds for IML violated the law. The IML legally needs to support the library and report important issues to Congress. However, after the president’s instructions, the GAO was part of Congress’ monitoring of federal spending, found that the IMLS “stop performing” and retained funds designed to support its goals.
In the same month, a federal judge ruled that it would not prevent the Trump administration from continuing to cut IML.
A national coalition also challenged the cuts, with a Rhode Island federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in May to stop layoffs. However, in a court application on August 11, the government said IMLS employees were told to reduce mandatory notices.
If the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal budget for 2026 is approved by Congress, IML will also face the possibility of a federal refund, allocating only $6 million, which will be used to shut down the agency and close in early 2026.
