Washington DC - The nation's largest labor union is suing the Trump administration to block attempts to dismantle the US Department of Education.

The National Education Association – representing over three million educators and public school employees – along with the NAACP, AFSCME Maryland Council 3, and several public school parents are asking the court to immediately halt President Donald Trump's plans to eliminate the department.

The move followed an executive order by Trump directing Secretary Linda McMahon to pursue "all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States."

The Trump administration has also slashed the department's staff numbers by nearly half and sought to terminate congressionally-approved contracts and grants for educational programs. The Small Business Administration rather than the Education Department is to oversee student loan debt, while the Health and Human Services Department will manage programs for students with disabilities.

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The new lawsuit accuses Trump of overreaching the constitutional authority of the executive branch and violating the federal Administrative Procedure Act in its attacks on the Education Department.

"Taken together, Defendants' steps since January 20, 2025, constitute a de facto dismantling of the Department by executive fiat," the complaint argues. "But the Constitution gives power over 'the establishment of offices [and] the determination of their functions and jurisdiction' to Congress – not to the President or any officer working under him."

Plaintiff Mara Greengrass said in a press release, "As a parent of a child with disabilities who has an Individual Education Program (IEP), I am deeply troubled by the severe cuts the Trump Administration has made to the Department of Education."

"Funding for special education and the Department’s oversight have been crucial in ensuring my son receives the quality education he – and every child in this country – deserves."