Supreme Court Allows Trump Education Department Cuts, Dismantling Plan Advances

The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump's administration to proceed with a plan to dismantle the Department of Education, lifting a lower court injunction that had temporarily halted mass layoffs of nearly 1,400 employees. This decision marks a significant legal victory for Trump and his Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who view the move as a way to return educational functions to individual states and reduce federal involvement. The department, established by Congress in 1979, oversees key responsibilities such as enforcing civil rights in schools, administering student loans, and supporting students with disabilities, prompting concern from Democratic state attorneys general and education groups about potential harm to its functions. The court's 6–3 emergency ruling was met with dissent from liberal justices who criticized the administration's approach as lawless, emphasizing the judiciary's role in checking executive overreach. Despite ongoing legal challenges in lower courts, Trump celebrated the ruling as a major victory for parents and students, asserting it will empower people and improve American education. Secretary McMahon described the Supreme Court's decision as confirmation of the president's authority over federal agency operations and called for restoring a culture of liberty and excellence in education.