US Judge Blocks Trump’s Move to Dismantle Education Department
A United States federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Department of Education, describing the move as unlawful and issuing an injunction to halt its implementation.
According to the Associated Press, Judge Myong Joun of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts delivered the ruling on Thursday.
The decision prohibits the Trump administration from laying off nearly half of the department’s employees and from transferring federal student loan management to the Small Business Administration.
This marks the first time a court has ruled against the Trump administration’s aggressive restructuring of a federal agency, specifically targeting the education sector.
In March 2025, Trump signed an executive order to initiate the process of shutting down the Department of Education.
The plan included a large-scale retrenchment exercise that would have affected about 2,000 of the department’s 4,000 workers.
The administration also planned to hand over the management of student loans to the SBA, a move critics say would disrupt financial aid for millions of students.
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Trump has consistently criticised the Department of Education, claiming that despite decades of federal funding, educational standards across elementary, middle and high schools remain poor.
He blamed the department for declining literacy and numeracy rates, arguing that education should be handled entirely by individual states.
“The Department of Education is doing us no good,” Trump had said, insisting that the federal government’s role in education was counterproductive.
Legal experts have argued that the closure or creation of a federal department requires congressional approval through legislation, a step the Trump administration did not take.
The judge’s ruling has been hailed by education advocates and federal workers’ unions as a victory for due process and the integrity of the education system.
The Trump team has not yet issued an official response, but insiders suggest the matter may proceed to appeal.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
