A federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, marking the first judicial rebuke of the administration’s sweeping efforts to reshape the agency.
Judge Myong Joun of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, appointed by President Joe Biden, ruled that the administration’s attempt to fire nearly half of the department’s employees and transfer management of federal student loans to the Small Business Administration was unlawful.
The judge’s order prohibits the administration from proceeding with mass layoffs and halts the executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March to begin dismantling the department. Trump has long criticized the department, arguing that despite substantial federal investment, educational outcomes remain poor, citing low proficiency in reading and math among U.S. students. “The Department of Education has become a bloated bureaucracy that’s more interested in pushing its own agenda than in helping our kids learn,” Trump said, asserting his administration’s goal to return education control to states and local communities.
Judge Joun emphasized that the president lacks the authority to dissolve a federal agency without congressional approval. “The evidence clearly indicates that the defendants’ genuine aim is to effectively disband the department without proper legislative authorization,” the judge wrote. The ruling requires the reinstatement of approximately 1,300 employees who were laid off as part of the administration’s reduction in force, restoring the department’s ability to fulfill its statutory duties.
The Trump administration swiftly vowed to appeal, with Education Department spokesperson Madi Biedermann criticizing the judge’s decision as an overreach. “President Trump and the Senate-confirmed education secretary undoubtedly hold the power to make decisions regarding agency restructuring, not an unelected judge with a political agenda,” she said.
This injunction remains in effect until the case is resolved or a higher court intervenes, representing a significant legal setback to the administration’s education policy overhaul.
