A federal judge in Rhode Island has created a significant obstacle for President Donald Trump’s efforts to close down several government agencies that have congressional approval and are known for “supporting our libraries, museums, minority business enterprises, and the highly regarded federal mediation services.” In a move made Tuesday, the judge issued a preliminary injunction to stop their “dismantling,” as he put it.

The executive order aiming to cease operations of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) breaches the government’s Administrative Procedures Act due to the “arbitrary and capricious manner” in which it was enacted, stated U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell.

“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government,” wrote McConnell in his Tuesday memorandum and order. “Specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,” the judge said.

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Trump issued the executive order in question, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” on March 14 and selected seven agencies to have their “non-statutory” components and functions “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” He also ordered the agencies to reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel “to the minimum presence and function required by law.”

A coalition of 21 states, all of them led by Democrats, filed a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of violating the APA, “separation of powers principles” and Article II of the U.S. Constitution with the executive order.

McConnell, a Barack Obama appointee, had previously blocked the Trump administration from putting a freeze on disaster relief and grants doled out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In his order Tuesday, McConnell noted how “once again” he was confronted with a legal challenge by multiple states against an order that “attempts to dismantle congressionally sanctioned agencies and ignores congressionally appropriated funds.”