Minnesota, 21 Other States Sue to Halt Dismantling of U.S. Education Department

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and 21 other state attorneys are suing to stop dismantling the federal Department of Education.

The lawsuit, filed in a Massachusetts federal court, claims the Trump administration’s massive reductions in the Education Department are unconstitutional and usurp congressional authority. It seeks a court order to halt the shutdown.

Trump officials earlier this week said they would cut nearly half the department’s staff with layoffs that would affect all its divisions.

The lawsuit claims the layoffs make it impossible for the Department of Education to fulfill key functions mandated by statute and would cause “immense damage to Plaintiff States and their educational systems.”

Ellison says Trump does not have the authority to effectively shut down an entire federal department that is authorized by Congress, and his attempt to do so is illegal and unconstitutional.