ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Thursday, May 22, a federal judge blocked President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the US Department of Education. In March, the Trump administration announced plans to effectively shut down the Department through the mass layoff of over 1,300 employees.
The judge ordered the agency to reinstate the employees that were laid off, agreeing with the plaintiffs in two lawsuits—one filed by a coalition of 21 state attorneys general, and one filed by a coalition of Massachusetts school districts and the American Federation of Teachers. The suits argued that the mass firings caused the Department to become inoperable and unable to carry out its congressionally mandated responsibilities in an attempt by the Trump administration to sidestep the checks and balances of the federal government.
The US Department of Education, established in 1979, is tasked with helping pay for special education, enforcing civil rights laws, administering student loan programs and supporting underfunded schools and students in low-income areas of the country, among other things. Without the federal Department, states would need to pick up these costs, students would lose protections, and services and schools across the country would lose tens of billions of dollars in federal funding.
In response to this ruling, Senate Education Committee Chairs — Senator Mary Kunesh (DFL-New Brighton) and Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) — released the following statement:
“Over the past 5 months, we have seen Donald Trump and Project 2025 architect Russell Vought attempt to exercise their power in blatantly unconstitutional ways. They have no power to unilaterally shut down entire federal agencies on a whim, and today’s ruling affirms that. The Trump administration’s repeated attacks on America’s public education system demonstrate that they don’t believe free, high-quality education is a right for all. Instead, they believe it’s a privilege reserved for the wealthy. Students in Minnesota who depend on the services of the Department of Education will be better off, thanks to the efforts of Attorney General Keith Ellison and advocates around the country. Our nation was founded because we rejected a unitary executive and monarchs, yet Donald Trump and his allies want to take us back. We must continue to hold the Trump administration accountable for their unconstitutional actions.”
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