The Supreme Court decided on Monday to permit the Trump administration to implement significant layoffs within the Department of Education. This 6-3 ruling follows ideological lines and partially supports Trump’s campaign commitment to reshape the education sector.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressed, “Today’s ruling is a notable win for students and families, but it is unfortunate that the Supreme Court had to intervene to facilitate reforms that President Trump was elected to enact using his constitutional powers.”
Nonetheless, liberal justices and other critics are concerned that this emergency ruling could undermine the legal mandates established by Congress.
The case will return to the Court of Appeal
After lifting a district judge’s injunction against Trump’s layoffs, the case will head back to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This injunction, imposed by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in May, will require federal agencies to seek clarification on the legality of the layoffs from the appellate court.
If the Court of Appeals rules against the administration, the President may appeal to the Supreme Court again, allowing for the usual legal process. Until a final decision comes from the Supreme Court, the injunction will not stop the layoffs.
Trump cannot completely eliminate the department
Trump has acknowledged that he lacks the authority to entirely dismantle the Department of Education on his own. Any federal agency reduction would need Congressional approval, which appears unlikely even under a Republican majority in both the House and Senate.
Even with full support, the Senate would need 60 votes to terminate the education department, which the GOP currently does not possess. Trump remarked, “Essential functions of the department are preserved and continue to be maintained,” when he signed an executive order to eliminate certain programs. “They will be fully preserved and allocated to other departments.” He further asserted that his administration would pursue every possible legal avenue to close the department as swiftly as feasible.
The conservative majority doesn’t explain the decision, but the liberals dispute
The reasoning behind the 6-3 decision to lift the injunction was not articulated, which is common in emergency rulings. However, liberal justices expressed frustration over the outcome. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, stated, “This grants the authority to the administration to overturn laws by dismissing everything necessary to do so.” They added that the majority appears willfully blind or naive about the implications of their ruling, significantly threatening the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution.
Scotus gives Trump administration another victory
The President’s administration has seen a string of successes with the Supreme Court. Recently, the Court ruled that Trump could return immigrants to countries they weren’t involved in, which stripped temporary legal status from many migrants, alongside allowing government employees access to social security data. This has sparked significant outrage among liberals and supporters who see ideological bias at play.
One advocate remarked, “The success of our students is paramount. American educators and parents will not stand by as Donald Trump, aided by his supportive Supreme Court, undermines our protections and funding legislated by Congress.”
Trump spoke about shutting down other federal agencies
Beyond education, other federal agencies are also in Trump’s sights. He has indicated intentions to eliminate or reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Voice, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced early this month that USAID would “officially stop implementing foreign aid” due to unmet development goals and rising instability.
While plans for layoffs in other agencies have faced judicial obstacles, rhetoric from the administration has shifted from shutting down FEMA to reforming it instead.
