A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the Education Department.
“For over 150 years, the federal government has played a crucial role in education,” U.S. District Judge Myong Joun’s order says. “The supporting declarations of former Department employees, educational institutions, unions, and educators paint 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.”
“The idea that Defendants’ actions are merely a ‘reorganization’ is plainly not true,” Joun added.
The judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate Department of Education workers previously removed. “The Agency Defendants shall reinstate federal employees whose employment was terminated or otherwise eliminated on or after January 20, 2025, as part of the reduction in-force announced on March 11, 2025 to restore the Department to the status quo such that it is able to carry out its statutory functions,” the order demands.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education in March.
“Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them. Today, American reading and math scores are near historical lows. This year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 70 percent of 8th graders were below proficient in reading, and 72 percent were below proficient in math. The Federal education bureaucracy is not working,” the order declared, adding, “Ultimately, the Department of Education’s main functions can, and should, be returned to the States.”
