In a new case of an activist judge creating obstacles for President Trump, a federal judge has halted an essential Trump administration initiative aimed at reducing the bureaucratic bloat in the Washington swamp, targeting the left-leaning Department of Education.
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The decision by Judge Myong Joun, a Biden nominee, frustrates efforts to devolve federal education control, a step towards empowering states.
On May 22, 2025, the blockade of President Trump’s executive order to downsize the Department of Education sent ripples across the nation.
This move, orchestrated by Judge Myong Joun, a Biden appointee in Massachusetts, overturned the proposed plan which included the reduction-in-force (RIF) announced on March 11.
The action aimed to streamline the Education Department by transferring control over federal student loans and special education tasks away from a bloated federal level.
Judge Joun granted a preliminary injunction at the behest of a coalition of states worried about funding delays brought by the layoffs.
The decision requires the reinstatement of all workers who were victims of the Trump administration’s effort to cut unnecessary jobs.
States and school districts had been grappling with the delays and resulting uncertainty, endangering funding and long-term plans for the school year.
“States and school districts are experiencing “delays and uncertainty in their receipt of federal educational funding, amounting in the millions, which jeopardize their missions of ensuring an educated citizenry and providing quality education,” the judge wrote in the order.
“Such delays and uncertainty raise immediate predicaments about whether there will be sufficient staff and student programming for the 2025-2026 school year and hinder long-term planning,” Juon said further.
The ruling states only Congress holds the authority to abolish any federal agency, striking at the heart of the Trump administration’s ambition to consolidate and increase efficiency.
In response, the Trump administration affirms intentions to challenge the ruling, reflecting the ongoing struggle between Trump’s vision for lean government and the entrenched leadership eager to maintain federal control.
Judge Joun’s decision is lauded by teachers unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, viewing it as a reversal of actions countering federal education roles.
Unions claim it as a victory for educational advocacy, yet critics argue this represents another instance of activist judiciary standing against American families’ better interest, focusing on constitutional authority.
“Once again, a far-left Judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs, and issued an injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people,” Education Department spokeswoman Madi Biedermann said, cited by USA Today.
“President Trump and the Senate-confirmed Secretary of Education clearly have the authority to make decisions about agency reorganization efforts, not an unelected Judge with a political axe to grind. This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families,” she added.
This latest judicial intervention further underscores a broader national divide on education policy as many continue to support the Trump administration’s intention to reinforce state governance and minimize federal bureaucracy.
Federal judge blocks Trump's executive order to shut down the Education Department and orders the agency to reinstate fired employeeshttps://t.co/9iTqLp9f2r
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) May 22, 2025
