U.S. appeals court upholds block on Trump dismantling of Education Department

U.S. appeals court upholds block on Trump dismantling of Education Department

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's decision to block President Donald Trump's administration from dismantling the Education Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The ruling, handed down on June 5, 2025, maintains the status quo for mass terminations and contract terminations at the IES, which had been halted by the department [2].

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit comes as a blow to the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the federal education landscape. The IES, a unit within the Department of Education, was accused of mismanagement and inefficiency by the administration, leading to a series of mass layoffs and contract terminations [2].

The nonprofits challenging the layoffs and terminations argued that the actions taken by the department prevent the IES from carrying out its statutory obligations. However, Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the organizations were unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claims, denying their requests for preliminary injunctions [2].

The ruling adds another layer of uncertainty to the Trump administration's trade policies, following a series of legal setbacks. Earlier this week, a federal appeals court temporarily paused a lower court ruling that had blocked most of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs, creating further confusion over which tariffs are currently in effect [1]. The legal back-and-forth has created uncertainty over where trade policy currently stands, disrupting supply chains as goods enter the United States [1].

References:
[1] https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/the-president/another-appeals-court-pauses-ruling-that-blocked-trumps-tariffs
[2] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/education-department-unit-dismantling-firings-stand-for-now