New Jersey Joins 21-State Lawsuit to Halt Closure of U.S. Education Department
According to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the coalition, the Trump administration’s actions have already had serious consequences for families and students across the country.
TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin on Monday, March 24, 2025, joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing a motion for a preliminary injunction as part of their lawsuit to stop the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.
On March 13, Attorney General Platkin and the coalition filed the lawsuit after the Trump administration announced plans to eliminate 50 percent of the Department’s workforce. Following a March 20 Executive Order directing the closure of the Department and President Trump’s March 21 announcement that the Department must “immediately” transfer student loan management and special education services to other entities, Platkin and the coalition moved to seek a court order to immediately halt the mass layoffs and transfer of services.
“Shuttering the Department of Education will result in extraordinary harm to students, teachers, and families in our state,” said Attorney General Platkin. “President Trump cannot unilaterally eliminate a Cabinet agency, and our motion today seeks to put an immediate end to this clear violation of the law.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading the coalition.
“The Trump administration’s illegal cuts to the Department of Education are an attack on our educators, our schools, and our students,” said Attorney General James. “We sued to stop Trump from dismantling the Department of Education, and today we are seeking a court order to protect students and their families. As a proud product of New York public schools, I will continue to defend our schools and all those who depend on them.”
According to Attorney General Platkin and the coalition, the Trump administration’s actions have already had serious consequences for families and students across the country. Mass layoffs within the Department have led to the closure of its Office for Civil Rights locations nationwide. Additionally, critical funding for state school systems has been delayed.
The attorneys general argue that states rely on billions of dollars in annual funding for elementary and secondary education, services for children with disabilities, vocational training, adult education, and other essential programs. All of these services, they say, will be severely disrupted if the administration’s effort to dismantle the Department is not stopped.
Platkin and the coalition contend that the Trump administration’s actions are both illegal and unconstitutional. The Department of Education is an executive agency established by Congress, with statutes that authorize its various programs and funding streams. The coalition asserts that the Executive Branch does not have the legal authority to unilaterally dismantle the agency without Congressional approval. Furthermore, the attorneys general argue that the mass layoffs violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
Joining Attorney General Platkin in filing the lawsuit and the latest motion are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
“While this administration may be fine with gutting services for special needs students, slashing critical programs, and hurting college students, we will never be,” Platkin said. “We will continue to stand up for our state’s students, teachers, and families.”
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