Court Rules Trump Cannot Proceed with Plan to Dismantle U.S. Education Department

A federal appeals court has sided with Democratic-led states, school districts, and teachers’ unions in blocking President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. On June 4, the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to lift an earlier ruling by a lower-court judge, stopping mass layoffs and requiring the department to reinstate over 1,300 terminated employees.

Denial

The 1st Circuit’s decision represents another legal setback for the Trump administration, which had asked for an emergency ruling to clear the path for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. With a 6-3 conservative majority on the high court, the administration had hoped to gain a favorable ruling there if the appeals court didn’t side with them.

But the panel of appellate judges rejected that request, leaving in place the May 22 injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun. His order stopped the layoffs and blocked the execution of Trump’s executive order to dismantle the department.

Layoffs

The controversy began in March when Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced plans to eliminate half the department’s workforce, cutting staff from 4,133 to 2,183. Around 600 employees had already accepted buyouts, and more than 1,300 were slated for forced termination. These job cuts were presented as part of what the department called its “final mission.”

Only a week after the layoffs were announced, Trump signed an executive order directing the department’s closure—a move consistent with his long-standing campaign promise to move education policy back to state and local governments.

Transfers

Trump’s plan wasn’t just about layoffs. He proposed reassigning key responsibilities from the Education Department to other agencies. The student loan program would be moved to the Small Business Administration, while services like special education, school nutrition, and disability programs would shift to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

These moves, according to the administration, were designed to streamline federal operations and reduce what it described as unnecessary bureaucracy. Affected employees were placed on administrative leave starting March 21 and told they would receive full pay and benefits until June 9.

Injunction

But Judge Joun found that the administration had overstepped its authority. In his ruling, he said the layoffs made it “effectively impossible” for the department to perform its legally mandated functions. Congress created the Education Department in 1979, and dismantling it—or even reducing its operations so drastically—requires legislative approval.

The judge’s injunction not only blocked the planned reorganization but also required the Education Department to notify terminated workers and take steps to comply with the court’s ruling.

Defense

The administration insists that the case is not about dismantling the department but about a lawful personnel decision. In a statement made during its appeal, the Department of Justice argued that Trump has always been open about his intent to abolish the department but recognizes that only Congress can do that officially.

Despite that acknowledgment, the courts have now twice found that the administration’s staffing decisions cross the line from policy to unlawful execution of an unauthorized shutdown.

As legal battles continue, the affected employees remain in limbo. While the department has notified them of the judge’s ruling, there is still no public plan to bring them back on the job. Whether or not the Supreme Court agrees to take the case could determine the future of the Education Department—and possibly how much power a president really has over federal agencies.

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