The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump to forge ahead with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education and lay off nearly 1,400 employees, delivering a major victory to the administration as it pursues one of Trump’s signature campaign promises.
In a divided order, the justices paused a lower court ruling that had blocked the layoffs and questioned the legality of the broader restructuring effort. The decision means the administration can immediately resume the process of terminating the employees, who have been on paid leave since March.
The unsigned order did not provide a rationale, which is typical for emergency appeals. But in a sharp dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, accused the majority of enabling “legally questionable action” by the executive branch.
“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it,” Sotomayor wrote.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon welcomed the ruling, saying it underscored the president’s sweeping authority to reorganize federal agencies. “It’s a shame it took Supreme Court intervention to allow this department to move forward with the president’s vision,” McMahon said in a statement.
The layoffs had been temporarily blocked in May when U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued a preliminary injunction, warning the cuts “will likely cripple the department.” A federal appeals court declined to put Joun’s order on hold, prompting the Trump administration to escalate the matter to the high court.
The administration has argued that streamlining the Education Department is essential to reducing bureaucracy and shrinking the federal workforce, a central plank of Trump’s second-term agenda. Last week, the Supreme Court also cleared the way for broader workforce reductions across other federal agencies.
The legal fight over the Education Department is unfolding alongside new lawsuits challenging the administration’s freeze on billions of dollars in education grants for after-school care and summer programs. More than 20 states filed suit Monday, accusing Trump officials of overstepping their authority.
The current case combines two lawsuits that contend the plan effectively amounts to an illegal closure of the department. One was brought by two Massachusetts school districts, the American Federation of Teachers and other education advocates. The other was filed by a coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general.
Plaintiffs have argued that the layoffs leave the department unable to meet its obligations, including distributing federal student aid, supporting special education, and enforcing civil rights laws.
Since March, the employees targeted for termination have remained on leave. According to their union, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, they were prevented from returning to work under Judge Joun’s injunction but faced permanent dismissal absent court intervention.
The Education Department previously indicated it was “actively assessing how to reintegrate” the employees, asking them to disclose whether they had found other jobs to help plan “a smooth and informed return to duty.”
With Monday’s Supreme Court decision, the administration can now move forward with fully ending their employment, marking a major milestone in Trump’s effort to reshape federal education policy by rolling back the agency’s footprint.
AP
