Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 20 other attorneys general are suing the Trump administration over its plan to fire about half of the Department of Education’s workforce.
Earlier this week, the administration announced the firings as part of its goal to completely shut down the Department.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, seeks to stop what the coalition calls “the targeted destruction of an agency that ensures tens of millions of students receive a quality education and critical resources.”
They argue that the administration’s actions to dismantle it are illegal and unconstitutional.
“Let’s not pretend this is about making government more efficient. It is not. It is destruction,” Mayes said in a statement. “It isn’t about better education policy. It is about tearing down public education by those who want to privatize it for profit.
According to the department’s website, impacted staff will be placed on administrative leave starting Friday, March 21.
It said the department "will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking."
But Mayes argues the reduction in force is so massive, the department will be unable to perform essential functions.
