The U.S. Supreme Court issued a major ruling Monday that clears the path for the Trump administration to move forward with its plan to drastically reduce — and ultimately eliminate — the Department of Education, marking a significant victory for President Donald Trump’s long-standing goal of returning education authority to the states.
In a 6–3 decision in McMahon v. State of New York, the Court’s conservative majority granted a stay that halts a lower court’s injunction, which had reinstated approximately 1,400 laid-off Education Department employees. The ruling enables the administration to resume its reduction-in-force measures immediately while litigation continues.
thinking about the dems who said we can’t abolish ICE as the Department of Education gets wiped off the map
— Joshua Erlich (@joshuaerlich.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 5:34 PM
President Trump quickly responded to the ruling on Truth Social, calling it a “Major Victory to Parents and Students across the Country,” and reiterated his commitment to decentralizing education policy. “The Trump Administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education BACK TO THE STATES,” he wrote.
The case stems from two consolidated lawsuits, including one brought by 20 Democrat-led states that sought to block the Trump administration’s March executive order calling for the department’s phased closure.
Without the Department of Education, some states will teach abstinence, others will teach contraception, and Alabama will just teach, “don’t matter if she’s your sister.”
— 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝 (@sundaedivine.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Plaintiffs argued that the mass layoffs had already undermined the department’s ability to fulfill its legal mandates — including overseeing federal aid programs for higher education and ensuring compliance with federal education laws.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun sided with the plaintiffs in May, ruling that the administration was seeking to dismantle the agency without congressional authorization. He found that “the record abundantly reveals” that the administration’s “true intention is to effectively dismantle the Department without an authorizing statute.”
If you grew up in a household with an evangelical right-wing parent, as I did, you already know that the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, like the reversal of Roe v. Wade, is the culmination of a 50-year project.
— Andrea Pitzer (@andreapitzer.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
However, in the Supreme Court’s unsigned order, the majority did not offer detailed reasoning. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a sharp dissent joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, criticized the Court for enabling what she called a “publicly announced” violation of the law. “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,” Sotomayor wrote.
Shutting down the Department of Education is good news for Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi — they can finally compete with West Virginia for worst in the nation.
— Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@nothoodlum.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who announced the layoffs earlier this year and is overseeing the department’s wind-down, emphasized that statutory obligations remain intact. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress,” she said in March. Following the Court’s order, McMahon praised the decision and said the department would “now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education.”
why should I repay my student loans if the department of education doesn’t exist
— Jessie 🌈 (@atropius.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 3:39 PM
While the Supreme Court’s ruling does not permanently resolve the legal challenge, it allows the administration to continue implementing its plan. The Education Department will remain operational in a reduced capacity as officials prepare for further legal and legislative action.
