Trump Faces Lawsuits Over Education Department Order

A coalition of unions, advocacy groups, and public school districts have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration's executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, arguing it unlawfully bypasses Congress. The lawsuits, filed in Massachusetts and Maryland, claim that the executive order oversteps constitutional authority and violates Congress's mandate, as dismantling a federal agency requires Congressional approval. Critics including the NAACP and National Education Association argue that this move endangers the welfare of vulnerable students and disrupts essential functions like civil rights enforcement and student loan management. The Trump administration has already initiated a significant workforce reduction and terminated $1.5 billion in education contracts, further escalating concerns. The administration defends its actions as efforts to eliminate bureaucratic waste, aiming to shift education control back to states. However, the lawsuits argue that these steps effectively dismantle the department by executive fiat, challenging the administration's legal authority to do so.