James Battles Trump’s Education Department Gutting

NEW YORK – Attorney General Letitia James is leading a charge against the Trump administration, filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the dismantling of the Department of Education (ED). The move comes after the administration announced plans to slash the Department’s workforce by 50 percent, a blatant attack on public education and the students it serves.

On March 13, Attorney General James, alongside a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general, initiated a lawsuit to prevent the destruction of ED. This latest action follows a March 20 Executive Order ordering the Department’s closure, and President Trump’s subsequent March 21 directive to “immediately” transfer student loan management and special education services outside of the Department. The coalition is demanding a court order to immediately cease the mass layoffs and the outsourcing of critical services.

“The Trump administration’s illegal cuts to the Department of Education are an attack on our educators, our schools, and our students,” Attorney General James stated bluntly. “We sued to stop Trump from dismantling the Department of Education, and today we are seeking a court order to protect students and their families. As a proud product of New York public schools, I will continue to defend our schools and all those who depend on them.”

The consequences of the Trump administration’s actions are already being felt. Mass layoffs at ED have forced the closure of Office of Civil Rights locations nationwide, including within New York State. Crucially, $363 million in federal funds earmarked for the New York State Education Department are currently delayed due to the administration’s disruptive changes. States rely on billions annually for elementary and secondary education, special needs services, vocational training, and adult education – all programs now facing severe disruption.

The lawsuit and motion assert that the Trump administration’s actions are illegal and unconstitutional. The Department of Education is an executive agency established by Congress, with a complex web of laws governing its programs and funding. The coalition argues that the executive branch lacks the legal authority to unilaterally dismantle the Department without Congressional approval. Furthermore, the mass layoffs are alleged to violate the Administrative Procedures Act.

Joining Attorney General James in this fight are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. This action builds on Attorney General James’s previous legal challenges to the Trump administration, including lawsuits over mass federal employee firings and cuts to teacher grant programs. On March 6, James and her colleagues secured a court order blocking another Trump administration overreach. The battle for the future of public education is far from over.

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