Federal Judge Blocks Trump Order to End Job Corps Program/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A federal judge has blocked the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down the Job Corps program, pending resolution of a lawsuit. The ruling supports ongoing student housing and job training at 123 centers nationwide. The decision rebukes the administration’s claim that it was merely pausing operations.
Job Corps Court Victory + Quick Looks
- Judge issues injunction: Labor Department barred from suspending Job Corps services during litigation.
- Program impact: Supports 20,000+ low-income youth with housing, healthcare, and job training.
- Judge Carter’s stance: Shuttering is equivalent to closure and must follow congressional protocol.
- Student harm cited: Closure could cause homelessness, program dropout, and massive layoffs.
- Union and legal response: AFL-CIO and 20 attorneys general back the lawsuit against shutdown.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Order to End Job Corps Program
Deep Look
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS JOB CORPS TO REMAIN OPEN
On June 26, 2025, U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter ruled that the Department of Labor (DOL) must continue operating Job Corps, a long-running residential job training program for underserved youth, while a lawsuit against the agency proceeds. The preliminary injunction strengthens an earlier restraining order that halted the government’s attempt to wind down the program by the end of June.
“Once Congress has passed legislation stating that a program like the Job Corps must exist, and set aside funding for that program, the DOL is not free to do as it pleases,” Carter wrote. “It is required to enforce the law as intended by Congress.”
DOL ARGUES DEFICIT, SAFETY CONCERNS
The Department of Labor previously announced it would suspend operations at all contractor-run Job Corps centers due to cost and performance concerns. Citing a $140 million deficit and low graduation rates, DOL officials said the program was not justifying its taxpayer funding.
“Secretary DeRemer rightfully paused funding to reassess underperforming programs… with massive safety concerns at Job Corps centers,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers wrote in a statement.
DOL spokesperson Aaron Britt added that the department is “working closely with the Department of Justice” to evaluate the court’s injunction, and reiterated confidence that its actions were “consistent with the law.”
COURT: ‘SHUTTERING’ IS CLOSURE
Judge Carter dismissed DOL’s claim that it was only pausing—not terminating—operations. “The way that the DOL is shuttering operations… makes it clear that the DOL is actually attempting to close the centers,” he wrote. The judge called out the real-life harm being inflicted, especially on vulnerable students.
One such student, based in New York, would lose access to the program just shy of completing a culinary arts certificate.
“She will immediately be plunged into homelessness,” Carter emphasized—countering the DOL’s assertion that any disruptions would be “minor.”
LIFELINE FOR THOUSANDS OF YOUTH
Since its founding in 1964, Job Corps has served as a vital pathway for youth who left traditional education systems or face economic hardship. Students receive free housing, meals, training, healthcare, and job placement assistance.
Monet Campbell, a 21-year-old participant in New Haven, Connecticut, described how the program changed her life. “I always got told all my life, ‘I can’t do this,’” she said. “But Job Corps really opened my eyes to, ‘I can do this.’”
Campbell, who entered the program after living in a homeless shelter, earned certifications in nursing assistance, phlebotomy, and EKG. She now works in a nursing home and plans to start nursing school this August. Beyond education, she received medical, dental, and mental health care—all critical services she had previously lacked. “They really just helped me with that,” she said.
STUDENTS LEFT IN LIMBO
As closures loomed, Campbell and others were forced to leave their Job Corps residences temporarily. “We feel like we’re in limbo,” she said, recounting how she had to stay with a friend for a week when cuts were first imposed.
Across the U.S., 123 centers serve over 20,000 students—most of which are operated by private contractors under DOL agreements. The National Job Corps Association filed suit to block the suspension, arguing that it would displace tens of thousands of young people and trigger mass layoffs. Twenty state attorneys general filed an amicus brief supporting the injunction.
UNIONS AND EDUCATORS SPEAK OUT
“This decision prevents any Job Corps center closures, job terminations or student removals, pending legislative action,” stated the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department. “The law is clear: a federal agency cannot unilaterally dismantle a congressionally-mandated program like Job Corps.”
Edward DeJesus, CEO of Social Capital Builders, emphasized the trauma that closure could inflict. “Many of these young people live in uncertainty… so the abrupt closure of these sites is really harmful for the welfare of young adults who are trying to make a change in their lives,” he said.
WHAT COMES NEXT
With the injunction in place, the Job Corps program remains operational. As legal proceedings unfold, the Biden administration (via Labor and Justice) will likely argue for the right to reassess or restructure the program. But unless Congress moves to terminate it, Judge Carter has made it clear: Job Corps cannot be shuttered unilaterally.
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