Attorney General Neronha has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. The legal action aims to prevent the dismantling of the Department of Education (ED), following an announcement on March 11 that the administration plans to lay off approximately half of ED's workforce as part of its goal to shut down the department.
Attorney General Neronha expressed concerns about the impact on students, stating, "The Trump Administration’s attack on the Department of Education is an unlawful attack on children from all walks of life across this country." He highlighted that such layoffs would severely impair ED's ability to perform essential functions, affecting services for students with special needs, those in rural and underserved communities, and others requiring vocational rehabilitation.
The Department of Education supports nearly 18,200 school districts and over 50 million K-12 students across public and private schools nationwide. It also provides services to more than 12 million postsecondary students annually. Federal funds from ED are crucial for special education programs, including assistive technology, teacher salaries, transportation, therapy services, and social work support.
The lawsuit argues that dismantling ED will have severe consequences. The reduction in workforce would incapacitate ED’s operations and deprive students with special needs of necessary resources. It would also weaken the Office of Civil Rights and complicate financial aid processing for college students.
The coalition seeks a court order to halt these policies, arguing that the actions are illegal and unconstitutional since Congress authorized ED as an executive agency. They contend that the Executive Branch lacks authority to dismantle it without congressional approval.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia have joined Attorney General Neronha in this legal challenge.