Update: On July 14, the Supreme Court lifted a lower court decision that blocked the Trump administration from firing more than 1,300 employees at the Department of Education. While the Supreme Court’s decision did not decide the merits of the case, it made way for the Trump administration to move forward with mass layoffs, which Education Secretary Linda McMahon has described as the first step in eliminating the department. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, described the majority’s decision to lift the lower court’s injunction as “indefensible.”
Timeline
May 22, 2025 – A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempts at dismantling the Department of Education.
March 13, 2025 – Nearly two dozen state attorneys general have sued the Trump administration over the mass firings at the Department of Education.
March 11, 2025 – The Department of Education announced the layoffs of 1,300 employees.
On March 11, the Department of Education announced the layoffs of around 1,300 employees, nearly halving the agency’s workforce. This is in addition to the approximately 600 employees who took voluntary resignation or early retirement in the weeks prior. The layoffs and early departures impact all divisions within the agency, including the National Center for Education Statistics, which is the primary federal entity that collects and reports data on education in the United States.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the layoffs as part of the Trump administration’s effort to reduce the federal workforce and a first step in eliminating the department. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing an executive order to “abolish” the Department of Education, which would need Congressional approval.
Impact: The Department of Education helps public schools reach their education goals and fills in crucial funding gaps in local education. Nearly 90% of K-12 students attend public schools. By cutting the Department of Education’s workforce in half, the Trump administration has made it harder for the agency to fulfill its mission.