Supreme Court approves Trump's Education Department layoffs

In 2020, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, allowed the Education Department in the United States to carry out mass layoffs of its employees, part of a broader initiative by President Donald Trump to significantly reduce the size of the federal government. This decision came as the court paused a lower court's order that required the reinstatement of nearly 1,400 employees who were laid off amid efforts to reorganize the department. Education Secretary Linda McMahon initiated these layoffs, which affected approximately one-third of the agency's workforce, citing a need to streamline the department and minimize discretionary functions that the administration believed would be better handled by states. The ruling was controversial, particularly among Democratic attorneys general from 20 states who had sued the Trump administration, claiming that the layoffs were unlawful and aimed at dismantling the Department of Education without Congressional consent. The courts had previously noted that the aggressive layoffs were potentially crippling to the agency's ability to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the dissenting justices in the case, argued that the Executive branch’s actions demonstrated a clear intent to violate the law, emphasizing the judiciary's duty to hold the executive accountable under such circumstances. Despite these objections, the majority opinion in the Supreme Court determined that the contested injunction should be lifted temporarily as the case proceeded through the appeals process. The ruling reflected a significant ideological divide within the court, with the three liberal justices dissenting and highlighting potential harm to the educational system if the department was dismantled. The situation unfolded as President Trump, since returning to the White House in 2017, engaged in sweeping efforts to diminish the size and scope of the federal government. His administration's agenda included mass firings across various government sectors, and the complete closure of the Department of Education was announced through an executive order. The layoffs, which effectively disabled a critical governmental agency, raised serious concerns about the impact on public education systems across the nation, particularly in school districts that relied heavily on federal support for funding and resources. Overall, this judicial decision marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battles over the direction and authority of federal educational policy under the Trump administration.