Federal appeals court throws roadblock at Trump's education reform agenda

A national appeals tribunal refused to assistance the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) petition to enactment a impermanent halt connected a territory judge’s preliminary injunction past week, preventing the Trump medication from moving up with plans to dismantle the department.

Washington, D.C., and 2 states antecedently requested the tribunal to halt the announced DOE and Trump administration’s planned Reduction successful Force (RIF) of fractional of the remaining employees astatine the DOE, arsenic good arsenic the closure of the department.

The dismantling was announced connected March 11, 2025, and 2 days later, the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump and others were sued successful the District of Massachusetts.

Following suit, 5 labour organizations and 2 schoolhouse districts did the same.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SCOTUS TO APPROVE DEI-RELATED EDUCATION CUTS

The plaintiffs requested the tribunal for an injunction against the transportation of definite functions retired of the Department, which Trump announced connected March 21.

The District Court merged the 2 cases, and aft reviewing the factual findings, issued an bid to spot a halt connected the president’s actions.

The Trump medication appealed the determination and requested a impermanent halt to the territory court’s order, but connected Wednesday that petition was denied.

WASHINGTON AG JOINS COALITION SUING TO BLOCK TRUMP'S ORDER TO DISMANTLE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing successful ceremonial for interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro successful the Oval Office of the White House connected May 28, 2025 successful Washington, DC. Trump has announced Pirro, a erstwhile Fox News personality, judge, prosecutor, and politician, aft losing enactment successful the Senate for his archetypal choice, Ed Martin, implicit his views connected the January 6, 2021 onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"What is astatine involvement successful this case, the District Court found, was whether a astir half-century-old furniture section would beryllium permitted to transportation retired its statutorily assigned functions oregon prevented from doing truthful by a wide termination of employees aimed astatine implementing the effectual closure of that department," the tribunal of appeals wrote. "Given the extended findings made by the District Court and the lack of immoderate contrary grounds having been submitted by the appellants, we reason that the appellants' enactment question does not warrant our interfering with the mean people of appellate adjudication successful the look of what the grounds indicates would beryllium the evident consequences of our doing so. The appellants' question for a enactment is denied."

Republican senators, successful April, introduced the "Returning Education to Our States Act" aft Trump signed an Executive Order to adjacent the DOE successful March.

If passed, the measure would redirect portions of the section to different national agencies, specified arsenic the Departments of Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Labor, Defense, Justice and State.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Education Secretary Lina McMahon announced the section would chopped astir 50% of its workforce. ((Getty Images/Reuters/Fox News Digital))

"The Department of Education was created to cod acquisition information and counsel authorities and section organizations connected champion practices," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, told Fox News Digital astatine the time. "Since then, it has grown into an oversized bureaucracy that dictates one-size-fits-all policies, standards and practices for students crossed the nation."

The measure came amid wide enactment among Republicans to destruct the agency, including the existent sitting Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, who elaborate her "vision for eliminating the Department of Education" successful a Fox News op-ed. 

McMahon and Rounds precocious held a gathering wherever the "Returning Education to Our States Act" was discussed. 

DEM AGS SUE OVER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAYOFFS

In summation to eliminating the agency, the legislation would besides marque cardinal changes to acquisition compliance requirements, making it truthful that schools would nary longer beryllium required to administer standardized tests to place struggling schools (CSI and TSI). The measure would besides let schools much autonomy to acceptable teacher certification standards and nonrecreational improvement plans.

The enforcement bid issued by President Donald Trump directs the section to "take each indispensable steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and instrumentality authorization implicit acquisition to the States and section communities," but it takes an enactment of Congress to formally abolish the department.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Republican-led measure could perchance travel President Donald Trump’s enforcement bid and run committedness to reshape the American acquisition system arsenic it heads to the Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for debate.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report.