Trump signs EO ordering closure of Department of Education, dismantling congressionally created agency

President Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 directing the Secretary of Education to take all lawful steps to close the Department of Education and return education authority to the states. A federal district court found aspects of the administration's implementation likely unlawful, noting the Department was created by Congress and could only be abolished by Congress. The administration had already conducted significant layoffs at the Department, retaining staff primarily to administer student loan programs it could not eliminate without congressional action.