The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to move forward with the dismissal of nearly 1,400 employees from the Department of Education. The 6–3 decision lifts a previous injunction that had temporarily halted the layoffs, delivering a major victory for President Trump’s long-standing goal of dismantling the federal education agency.

The affected employees had been on paid leave since March, after the administration announced plans to significantly reduce the department’s functions. Although the layoffs were initially blocked by a lower court, that order has now been overturned, clearing the way for the administration to begin the process of closing down key parts of the department.

The legal battle centered around two consolidated lawsuits, one brought by Massachusetts school districts and education unions, and another by 21 Democratic attorneys general. Plaintiffs argued that the layoffs would severely undermine the department’s ability to fulfill essential federal responsibilities, including managing student financial aid, enforcing civil rights laws, and supporting special education programs.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, who issued the original injunction, had expressed concern that the move could “cripple the department.” The Supreme Court’s majority, however, provided no written explanation for lifting the injunction, standard practice in emergency rulings. Dissenting justices, led by Sonia Sotomayor, criticized the decision sharply, warning that the court was enabling what they described as unlawful executive action.