The moves against the library institute stirred an outcry across the library and museum worlds. In a statement on Tuesday, Cindy Hohl, the president of the American Library Association, said the cuts amounted to an attack on democracy, civic engagement and free access to information.
“These values are worth defending,” she said. “We will not allow extremists to threaten our democracy by eliminating programs at I.M.L.S. and harming the children and communities who rely on libraries and the services and opportunities they provide.”
Mr. Sonderling, the deputy secretary of labor, was named the agency’s interim director by Mr. Trump in early March, replacing Cyndee Landrum, a career library professional. Shortly after being confirmed, he visited the agency with a team that included at least one staff member of the Department of Government Efficiency, which set up offices and gained access to computer systems.
In a statement shortly after his visit, Mr. Sonderling said he would “restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”
On March 31, the agency placed its roughly 70 employees on administrative leave, and on April 3 sent termination notices to all but a dozen. It also began sending letters to state library agencies, including those of California and Connecticut, informing them that their funding was being eliminated. On April 4, Mr. Sonderling fired all 23 members of the agency’s board, according to the lawsuit.
In recent days, the Trump administration has also moved to curb other federal cultural agencies. Last week, the National Endowment for the Humanities abruptly canceled about 1,200, or more than 85 percent, of its already-approved grants and placed more than half of its staff of about 170 on administrative leave.
Separately, Mr. Trump also issued an executive order accusing the Smithsonian Institution of falling “under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and demanding that Congress end funding for any programs there that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race or promote ideologies inconsistent with federal law.”