A coalition of 20 Democratic United States attorneys have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's plan to make significant cuts to the Department of Education.
The suit that was filed in federal court is being led by New York attorney, Letitia James and was made after the agency cut about half of its workforce. More than 1,300 employees were laid off in a single day as part of President Donald Trump’s attempts to dismantle the department entirely.
James and the coalition argued that the Trump administration's actions to dismantle the department were illegal and unconstitutional.
“Firing half of the Department of Education’s workforce will hurt students throughout New York and the nation, especially low-income students and those with disabilities who rely on federal funding,” James said in a statement.
“This outrageous effort to leave students behind and deprive them of a quality education is reckless and illegal.”
The statement also noted that the department serves over 50 million students in around 98,000 public schools and 32,000 private schools across the country, alongside 12 million postsecondary students annually.
She argued that the dismantling would be a disservice to low-income families, students with disabilities, teachers, rural students and many more if the department were to be dismantled.
Trump initially wanted to dismantle the Department of Education in his first term as the idea has become increasingly popular among conservatives. Project 2025, the conservative manifesto from the Heritage Foundation, also calls for dismantling the department.
Other state attorneys joining the suit include representatives from: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
Democratic attorney generals have also filed a range of lawsuits since Trump took office against his slashing of the government. A smaller separate suit was filed against the cuts to teacher training programs in the education department.
