On Monday, the Supreme Court granted President Donald Trump a major victory by allowing mass layoffs at the Department of Education, enabling the administration to move forward with plans to return control of schools to the states. The Court issued a brief, unsigned order pausing a lower court ruling that had blocked the layoffs indefinitely. This effectively allowed the Department to begin terminating employees immediately.

Within hours, the Department sent layoff notices to affected staff, informing them their employment would end August 1. The notices emphasized that the cuts were due to agency restructuring and not performance issues, attaching the Supreme Court’s order.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor strongly dissented, calling the ruling “indefensible” and warning it threatens the separation of powers. She and the other liberal justices opposed the decision. Earlier, a Biden-appointed judge blocked the layoffs, ruling the agency couldn’t be dismantled without Congressional approval—a ruling upheld by the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump praised the Supreme Court’s ruling on Truth Social, calling it a “major victory for parents and students” and supporting Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s efforts to reduce federal bureaucracy and return education authority to states. McMahon called the decision a “significant win,” stressing the president’s authority over federal agencies’ staffing and operations.

Judge Myong Joun and Sotomayor warned the layoffs could cripple the department and harm students by weakening federal protections against discrimination and civil rights violations.