Democratic attorneys general sue Trump admin over Education Department cuts
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A demonstrator outside of the U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C, on March 12. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general on Thursday sued the Trump administration over its plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
Why it matters: President Trump's Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, confirmed the mass layoffs this week were the first step toward shuttering the department.
Driving the news: The attorneys general argue that the recent mass layoff of department staff was "illegal and unconstitutional." They're seeking a court order to stop further disruption.
- The lawsuit asserts that "only Congress may abolish an agency it created." McMahon did acknowledge this week that Congress would have to be involved in disbanding the department.
- McMahon has the authority to "modestly restructure" the department, but her permissions are limited, the lawsuit said.
- However, it noted, "She is not permitted to eliminate or disrupt functions required by statute, nor can she transfer the department's responsibilities to another agency outside of its statutory authorization."
The big picture: The mass layoffs will cause loss or delays in funding or support "impacting nearly every aspect of K-12 education" in the states that sued, the lawsuit said.
- Impacts will include teacher shortages and a loss in professional development and salaries for specialists who work with students with disabilities, the attorneys general said.
- The cuts "will result in lost educational opportunities for students that cannot be recovered or remedied," they wrote.
- The recent layoffs will acutely hurt low-income and disabled students, who rely on supports provided via federal funding, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
Zoom in: The attorneys general participating in the lawsuit are from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
- Democratic attorneys general have launched challenges to several of the Trump administration's actions and executive orders.
- On Thursday afternoon, the case was assigned to a Magistrate Judge Page Kelley in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.
Read the lawsuit:
Go deeper:
- Education secretary says mass layoffs first step toward shutting down DoE
- Trump-voting states have more to lose if Education Department dismantled
Editor's note: The story has been updated with the judge assigned to the case.
