Attorney General Mayes, along with a coalition of 20 other attorneys general, has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. This legal action follows a lawsuit filed on March 13 in response to plans announced by the administration to cut 50 percent of the Department's workforce.
The urgency of this motion was heightened by recent developments, including an Executive Order on March 20 directing the closure of the Department and President Trump's subsequent announcement on March 21 mandating the immediate transfer of student loan management and special education services outside the Department.
Attorney General Mayes emphasized that "The Department of Education was established by Congress, and it is Congress alone that has the authority to eliminate it." She criticized what she described as "the Trump administration's reckless and unilateral attempt" to dismantle an agency crucial for students and families, especially those in rural areas or with disabilities. The coalition seeks a court order to prevent mass layoffs and service transfers.
The coalition argues that these actions have already negatively impacted families and students nationwide. They report closures of Office for Civil Rights locations due to staff reductions and delays in critical funding for state school systems. The states depend on billions annually for various educational services which are now at risk if these administrative changes proceed unchecked.
In their legal arguments, Attorney General Mayes and her colleagues contend that the Trump administration’s actions are illegal and unconstitutional. They assert that only Congress can authorize such significant changes within an executive agency like the Department of Education. Furthermore, they claim that mass layoffs contravene the Administrative Procedures Act.
Joining Attorney General Mayes in this legal challenge are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington State Wisconsin as well as from the District of Columbia.