Biden-Appointed Judge Blocks Trump’s Bid To Shut Off Lights At Ed Dep’t

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from abolishing the Department of Education (ED).

President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the department in March. Judge Myong J. Joun, a Biden-appointed judge, granted a preliminary injunction Thursday against the department’s attempt to redistribute its duties to other agencies and lay off over 1,000 employees.

“For over 150 years, the federal government has played a crucial role in education,” the judge’s order reads. “The supporting declarations of former Department employees, educational institutions, unions, and educators paint a stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America’s most vulnerable student populations.”

The judge argued that the mass layoffs from the department have made it “effectively impossible” to operate properly.

Shortly after signing the order, the president announced ED will no longer oversee student loan management, instead transferring that duty to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Special needs and nutrition programs were also moved to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Several states filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in March over the department’s decision to cut nearly half of its staff.

ED and the White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.