Trump gets one step closer to KILLING Education Department: US Supreme Court okays mass layoffs

In a major win for President Donald Trump, the US Supreme Court on Monday (Jul 14) cleared the way for his administration to resume mass layoffs at the Department of Education, effectively green-lighting his controversial plan to dismantle the agency altogether. The court's unsigned order lifts a stay imposed by a lower federal judge, allowing the conservative-led administration to continue slashing the Education Department's workforce. The ruling did not pass uncontested; three liberal justices — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson — on the nine-member panel issued a dissent against it.

Trump only fulfilling his campaign promises

The US Department of Education was established by Congress in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter. It administers billions of dollars in federal funding for public schools, student loans, and enforcement of civil rights protections. During his White House campaign, the Republican leader had vowed that he would eliminate the Education Department. In March, soon after assuming office, he made the move to slash the workforce by nearly half. He also infamously instructed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "put herself out of a job."

What does Trump have against the US Education Department?

As per AFP, while the federal government only provides around 13 per cent of primary and secondary school funding — with the rest handled by states and local districts — it (the federal funding) plays a crucial role in supporting low-income students and children with disabilities/special needs.

But Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has repeatedly called the department "bloated" arguing that education should be entirely managed by states. According to his administration, the move was part of a broader initiative led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), once headed by Elon Musk, to cut federal spending.

A threat to the US Constitution?

In their dissent, the three liberal judges — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson — warned that the ruling poses a grave threat to the Constitution’s separation of powers. "Only Congress has the power to abolish the Department," they noted, adding, "The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution's separation of powers is grave."