Court Blocks Trump Plan to Shut Down Education Department/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the Education Department, ordering the reinstatement of employees fired in a mass layoff plan. The decision is a major legal setback for one of President Trump’s key campaign promises.
Trump’s Education Department Layoffs Blocked: Quick Looks
- Federal injunction issued: Judge Myong Joun blocked mass layoffs at the Education Department.
- Lawsuit origin: Filed by Massachusetts school districts and the American Federation of Teachers.
- Mass firings reversed: The judge ordered fired employees to be reinstated.
- Administration’s defense: Layoffs framed as a restructuring effort for efficiency.
- Legal argument: Plaintiffs say the move illegally bypassed Congress by dismantling core federal responsibilities.
- Judge’s assessment: Joun cited “irreparable harm” to vulnerable students and essential services.
- Scope of impact: Financial aid, special education, and civil rights enforcement were all at risk.
- Constitutional tension: Trump has called for shutting down the department, but only Congress can authorize it.
- Ongoing implications: Injunction halts layoffs pending full case resolution.
Deep Look: Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Shut Down Education Department Through Mass Layoffs
President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education suffered a major blow Thursday, as a federal judge in Boston halted his administration’s mass layoffs and ordered the reinstatement of fired employees.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued a preliminary injunction against the administration’s March plan to slash the department’s workforce as part of Trump’s longstanding campaign pledge to shut down the agency. The judge sided with school districts in Massachusetts and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), who argued that the abrupt firings effectively dismantled the department without congressional approval.
In his ruling, Judge Joun said the plaintiffs presented a compelling case that the firings would cause “irreparable harm” by disrupting critical educational services — particularly those targeting America’s most vulnerable students.
“The layoffs will likely cripple the Department,” Joun wrote in the 30-page decision. He ordered the department to immediately reinstate employees terminated since the March 11 layoff order.
The Trump administration argued the move was part of an internal restructuring intended to streamline operations and increase efficiency — not an attempt to shutter the department entirely. Officials acknowledged, however, that some services “may be temporarily affected.”
Still, the plaintiffs — including the Somerville and Easthampton school districts and education advocacy organizations — said the layoffs halted essential functions mandated by law, such as federal student aid distribution, special education oversight, and civil rights enforcement.
The lawsuit claimed that by firing large swaths of department employees without proper authority or congressional approval, the administration overstepped its constitutional limits.
Trump has repeatedly pledged to eliminate the Education Department, accusing it of federal overreach into state-run school systems. But legal experts note that such a move would require an act of Congress — not just an executive order.
This legal battle could have major implications for the future of federal education policy and the power of the executive branch. With the injunction now in place, the court will proceed to consider the full merits of the case, while the reinstated employees resume their roles.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, praised the ruling, calling it “a victory for students, educators, and the rule of law.”
American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten added: “This was never about efficiency — it was about eliminating a department critical to our public schools and the families who rely on them.”
As the 2025 school year approaches, education officials nationwide are now watching closely to see how the Trump administration will respond to this legal setback. While the ruling doesn’t end Trump’s quest to downsize federal government, it affirms the limits of unilateral executive action — especially when core services for millions of students are at stake.
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