A federal judge on Thursday stopped President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to close the Education Department and told the agency to rehire employees who were let go during major layoffs.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston approved a temporary court order that halts two plans announced in March. These plans were part of Trump’s effort to shut down the department. This decision slows down progress on one of the Republican president’s campaign goals.
The court order came in response to a lawsuit from the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts, the American Federation of Teachers, and other education organizations.
The lawsuit argued that the layoffs were an illegal way of closing the Education Department. The groups claimed that the cuts made it impossible for the department to handle tasks assigned by Congress, like helping special education, giving out financial aid, and enforcing civil rights laws.
Donald TrumpJudge Joun wrote that the groups showed a “stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America’s most vulnerable student populations.”
He added that laying off so many people “will likely cripple the Department.”
Joun told the Education Department it must bring back the federal employees who lost their jobs after the March 11 layoff decision.
The Trump administration argues the layoffs are meant to make the department more efficient, not to shut it down. While Trump supports closing the department, the administration said that Congress must be the one to make it happen.
The government added that while reorganizing the agency “may impact certain services until the reorganization is finished,” it still plans to meet its legal responsibilities.