Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin Layoffs at Education Department

The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump's administration to proceed with laying off nearly 1,400 employees as part of its plan to dismantle the Department of Education, overruling a lower court injunction that had paused the layoffs. The decision, which came without explanation, was opposed by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan, who expressed concern over enabling potentially illegal executive actions. Education Secretary Linda McMahon supported the ruling, emphasizing the President's authority over federal agency operations, while Trump hailed it as a major victory for parents and students, highlighting the move to return educational responsibilities to the states. Critics, including groups representing affected school districts, warn the court's use of the shadow docket bypasses thorough legal review and risks undermining the public education guarantee. The layoffs will impact employees who have been on paid leave since March, and the broader litigation over the department's dismantling continues in lower courts. This ruling marks a significant step toward fulfilling one of Trump's key campaign promises to overhaul the federal education structure.