Overview

• The Supreme Court’s emergency order paused U.S. District Judge Myong Joun’s injunction that had reinstated up to 1,400 laid-off employees, enabling the Education Department to move forward with mass firings.
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, dissented, warning the ruling gives the president power to sidestep statutes by eliminating the staff needed to enforce them.
• President Trump called the ruling a “major victory” that will return many of the department’s functions to state control, in line with his broader aim to shrink federal education oversight.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon hailed the decision as confirmation of presidential authority over agency staffing levels and organizational structure.
• Two consolidated lawsuits by Massachusetts school districts, a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general and education groups remain pending on appeal, challenging the legality of the dismantling plan.