Press Release  AG Campbell Files New Motion To Stop Trump Administration From Shutting Down The Department Of Education

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today co-led a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in filing a motion for a preliminary injunction as part of their lawsuit to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education (Department).

On March 13, AG Campbell and the coalition filed their lawsuit after the Trump Administration announced plans to eliminate 50 percent of the Department’s workforce. Following the President’s March 20 Executive Order directing the closure of the Department and his March 21 announcement directing the Department to “immediately” transfer out student loan management and special education services, AG Campbell and the coalition are seeking a court order to immediately stop the mass layoffs and transfer of services. 

“By attempting to dismantle the Department of Education which, among many things, funds educational programs that benefit low-income children and students with disabilities and enforces laws that prohibit discrimination in education, the Trump Administration is making it crystal clear that it does not prioritize our students, teachers or families,” said AG Campbell. “Neither President Trump nor his Secretary have the power to demolish a congressionally-created department, and as Attorney General but most importantly as a mom, I will continue to push back on these and other unlawful actions that harm our residents and economy.”

As AG Campbell and the coalition assert, the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Department have already had serious consequences for families and students throughout the country. Mass layoffs of Department staff have led to the closure of the Department’s Office of Civil Rights locations throughout the country, including in Boston. Critical funding for state school systems has also been delayed. As the attorneys general argue, states rely on billions of dollars every year in funding for elementary and secondary education, services for children with disabilities, vocational education, adult education, and other crucial services. All of these programs will be severely disrupted if the administration’s incapacitation of the Department is not stopped. 

In their lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction, AG Campbell and the coalition argue that the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Department are illegal and unconstitutional. The Department is an executive agency authorized by Congress, with numerous laws creating its various programs and funding streams. The coalition’s lawsuit asserts that the Executive branch does not have the legal authority to unilaterally dismantle it without an act of Congress. In addition, the attorneys general argue that the Department’s mass layoffs violate the Administrative Procedures Act. 

Joining AG Campbell in filing the lawsuit and today’s motion are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

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