“Will Likely Cripple the Department”: Judge Blocks Trump’s Order to Dismantle Education Department

A federal judge has halted an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump that aimed to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, declaring the move unlawful and potentially devastating to students and educators nationwide.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, based in Boston, granted a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump administration from proceeding with its plan to shut down the federal agency. In his ruling, Joun ordered that employees who were laid off in March be reinstated, according to a report by CNN.

The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by two Massachusetts school districts, which argued that the layoffs and the attempted shutdown of the department were both illegal and harmful. The plaintiffs claimed that the move left the department unable to perform its essential functions, including supporting special education, distributing financial aid, and enforcing civil rights protections in schools.

In his ruling, Judge Joun emphasized the broad and damaging consequences of the administration’s actions. “The plaintiffs painted a stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America’s most vulnerable student populations,” Joun wrote.

He concluded that the scale of the layoffs imposed by the administration “will likely cripple the Department.”

Trump’s executive order, part of a broader push to reduce the size of the federal government, triggered widespread backlash from educators, civil rights advocates, and lawmakers. Critics argued that dismantling the Department of Education would jeopardize programs serving millions of students, particularly those from marginalized communities.

Legal experts noted that the case raises significant constitutional questions about the limits of presidential power and the role of Congress in establishing and funding federal agencies. The Department of Education, created in 1980, has a mandate from Congress to support education nationwide—something the judge said the administration could not lawfully override by executive order.

While the Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision, for now, Judge Joun’s ruling ensures the Department of Education will continue to operate—and its employees will return to work—while the case proceeds.

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