A federal judge in California has issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's administration from proceeding with mass layoffs and large-scale reorganizations across more than 20 federal agencies, including the Department of Education. The ruling halts the implementation of Trump's Executive Order 14210 and related directives, which were issued on February 11, 2025, and involved the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by adviser Elon Musk.
Judge Susan Illston found that the administration's actions to downsize and restructure federal agencies—including the issuance of reduction-in-force (RIF) notices, buyouts, and the placement of employees on administrative leave—require explicit authorization from Congress. The affected agencies include Health and Human Services (HHS), Veterans Affairs (VA), AmeriCorps, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and others. The court cited planned cuts such as 80,000 jobs at the VA, 10,000 at HHS, 8,500 at the Department of Energy, 40% of staff at the IRS, half of staff at HUD and the National Science Foundation, 70% of headquarters staff at the Department of Labor, and more than half at AmeriCorps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Overall, at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation, with approximately 260,000 workers leaving or expected to leave by the end of September.
Separately, Judge Myong J. Joun in Massachusetts ordered the Trump administration to reinstate more than 1,300 Department of Education employees who had been laid off as part of the broader effort to dismantle the agency. The court also blocked the transfer of the federal student loan portfolio—valued at over $1.6 trillion and with a backlog of nearly two million applications and 50,000 PSLF Buyback applications—to another agency, stating that only Congress has the authority to abolish or fundamentally alter federal departments. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon had announced the RIF at the Education Department on March 11, 2025.
The Trump administration has appealed these decisions, including to the Supreme Court, maintaining that the president has the authority to reorganize the executive branch without additional legislative approval. The Department of Justice has indicated it will pursue further appeals. The preliminary injunctions require the immediate rehiring of affected staff and cite a congressional amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs.
A federal court has blocked Trump’s unlawful attempt to dismantle the Department of Education, citing an amicus brief filed by House Democrats.
Congress created the Department, and only Congress can defund or dismantle it. The president’s job is to execute our laws, not destroy
Big win for our students, teachers, and the rule of law. As a proud member of the House Litigation Task Force, I joined my colleagues in standing up to the Administration’s attempt to dismantle the Department of Education. Today, a federal judge blocked that move and ordered the
