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The Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the Trump administration July 14, allowing it to move forward with laying off nearly 1,400 Department of Education employees — part of a broader effort to scale down the federal government, AP News reported.
The layoffs had been the subject of two consolidated lawsuits: one brought by public school districts and education unions and another by 21 Democratic attorneys general. Both claimed the move would leave the department unable to fulfill legally required tasks.
A federal district court initially sided with the challengers. Judge Myong Joun issued an injunction halting the layoffs, warning that they would “cripple the department.”
The Supreme Court’s majority voted to block Joun’s ruling, freeing the administration to implement one of its most ambitious executive reforms.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the ruling, calling it a rightful affirmation of presidential authority.
“The President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch,” she said in a July 14 X post, “has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”
She added that the department would now be able to carry out its role as outlined by the Trump administration’s goals.
“We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most – to students, parents, and teachers,” she said. “As we return education to the states, this Administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy.”
The Court, following standard practice for emergency rulings, did not issue a written explanation; however, three justices — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson — dissented.
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