Judge blocks Trump admin from shutting down Education Department

A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s attempts to dismantle the federal Education Department after a lawsuit New Jersey was party to. 

New Jersey was one of 21 states to sue the Trump administration over the executive order, which instructed U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to close the department. In a ruling, District Court Judge Myong J. Joun wrote the dismantling likely violated Congress’ authority to authorize departments and instructed the Trump administration to operate the department according to the status quo.

“[The states] have demonstrated that the Department will not be able to carry out its statutory functions—and in some cases, is already unable to do so—and [Trump officials] have proffered no evidence to the contrary,” the judge wrote.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin has filed twenty lawsuits against the Trump Administration, plus several motions to intervene, since the president’s inauguration in January.

“President Trump’s attempt to unilaterally dismantle the U.S. Department of Education is unconstitutional and illegal, and we are pleased that the court agreed with us today and blocked these unlawful actions,” Platkin said in a release. “The Trump Administration’s reckless attempts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education would gut services for special needs students, hurt low-income families in our state, and harm those seeking higher education.”

The Trump administration called the ruling incorrect.

“Once again, a far-left Judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs, and issued an injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people,” Madi Biedermann, the department’s deputy assistant secretary for communications, told NPR in a statement.