The United States Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to move forward with its controversial plan to dismantle the Department of Education—one of Donald Trump’s major campaign promises—putting nearly 1,400 federal employees at risk of losing their jobs.
In a 6-3 decision on Monday, the court’s conservative majority voted to pause a lower court order that had blocked the layoffs. The move effectively allows the administration to continue with efforts to shut down the department. The three liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan—dissented.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston had earlier issued a preliminary injunction against the plan, warning that the mass layoffs would “likely cripple the department.” A federal appeals court declined to freeze that injunction while the government appealed, prompting the administration to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court.
As is customary in emergency appeals, the court did not provide a detailed explanation for its decision. However, Justice Sotomayor, writing in dissent, sharply criticized the move.
“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,” she wrote.
Critics argue the administration’s plan is an unlawful attempt to shutter a federal agency without congressional approval. Two lawsuits challenging the move—now consolidated—were filed by school districts in Massachusetts, the American Federation of Teachers, and a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general. They contend that eliminating the department will severely undermine federal responsibilities, such as managing financial aid, supporting special education, and enforcing civil rights laws.
In June, the Education Department had told affected employees it was “actively assessing how to reintegrate” them, and requested updates on their employment status to help plan a potential return. That effort has now been cast into uncertainty following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
With the legal roadblocks temporarily lifted, the Trump administration is expected to accelerate the process of dismantling the agency—setting the stage for what could be one of the most sweeping federal department closures in U.S. history.
