The decision pauses a previous injunction from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, who had temporarily blocked the layoffs in a ruling that criticized the plan as potentially crippling the department. Judge Joun’s initial order, issued in Boston, warned that the layoffs would "likely cripple the department," undermining its ability to fulfill its mission of supporting students, educators, and civil rights protections in education. However, with the Supreme Court’s intervention, the administration can now move forward with its plans to significantly reduce the size and scope of the Education Department.
While the Court did not provide a detailed explanation for its emergency ruling, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissenting opinion, criticized the decision as an endorsement of potentially unlawful actions by the administration. "When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it," wrote Sotomayor, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan.
In a statement following the decision, Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying it reaffirmed the President’s authority to restructure federal agencies as he sees fit.
“Today, the Supreme Court confirmed what we already know: The President of the United States, as head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority over staffing, agency organization, and operations,” McMahon said.
McMahon's statement echoed the administration’s long-standing argument that downsizing the Education Department is essential to meeting Trump’s campaign promise of reducing the size of the federal government. For proponents of the plan, the decision marks a crucial victory in Trump’s broader efforts to limit the role of federal agencies in higher education and K-12 policy.
However, advocacy groups and education leaders are not backing down. The Massachusetts cities and education groups that filed lawsuits against the plan argue that the layoffs and the proposed cuts would prevent the Education Department from carrying out critical functions—such as supporting special education, distributing financial aid, and ensuring access to civil rights protections in education.
