U.S. Supreme Court Allows Trump to Proceed with 1,400 Education Department Layoffs
- The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court block, allowing the Trump administration to resume layoffs at the Department of Education.
- Nearly 1,400 employees are set to be laid off as part of Trump's plan to downsize the department and shift functions to other agencies.
- While the layoffs proceed, legal challenges from states and unions continue in lower courts, citing threats to education services and civil rights.
In a landmark decision on July 14, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the path for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume its efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, a central pillar in his long-standing campaign to reduce federal involvement in public education and return authority to the states.
In a brief, unsigned order, the Court lifted a lower court injunction that had reinstated nearly 1,400 laid-off employees and temporarily blocked the administration from transferring key departmental functions to other federal agencies. The decision marks another major legal victory for the Trump administration, which has pursued a sweeping government downsizing agenda since March.
The Court’s three liberal justices dissented. Meanwhile, legal battles over the department’s closure and restructuring will continue to unfold in lower courts.
The ruling stems from lawsuits filed by 21 Democratic attorneys general, school districts, and teachers' unions, who had argued that dismantling the department would cripple its core functions, including administering student financial aid, enforcing civil rights protections, and supporting students with disabilities.
The Department of Education, established by Congress in 1979, is responsible for disbursing federal aid, ensuring equal access to education, and managing the nation’s $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio. Critics of the shutdown warn that reducing its scope and staffing could delay federal funding to disadvantaged students and undermine efforts to combat discrimination in schools.
The administration contends that the department has grown into an example of federal overreach and inefficiency, arguing that education should be primarily governed at the state and local levels, which already provide over 85% of public school funding.
In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the closure of the Department of Education 'to the maximum extent allowed by law'. He assured that core functions such as Pell Grants and special education services would be preserved but reassigned to agencies like the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“This is about returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs”, Trump said at the signing.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon unveiled a downsizing plan that would reduce the department’s workforce to half its size since Trump first took office. This involved massive layoffs, program eliminations, and structural changes.
However, on May 22, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, appointed by President Biden, issued a ruling halting the mass terminations and department handovers. He described the downsizing as likely to 'cripple the department' and violate statutory responsibilities.
Joun wrote that plaintiffs were likely to prove the administration was “effectively disabling the department from carrying out its duties by firing half of its staff, transferring key programs out, and eliminating entire offices”.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Joun’s injunction on June 4, rejecting a government request for a pause. In response, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to intervene, accusing the judge of judicial overreach and arguing that the President was acting within his lawful discretion.
Plaintiffs countered that dismantling the department could cause significant delays in disbursing aid, risk program cuts, and hinder efforts to ensure educational equity and accountability nationwide.
Although fully eliminating the Department of Education still requires an act of Congress, the Supreme Court’s decision now allows the Trump administration to continue implementing its controversial restructuring strategy.
With the federal role in education facing one of its most significant overhauls in decades, the battle over who controls American education Washington or the states is set to intensify in the months ahead.
