Democratic-appointed U.S. District Judge Myong Joun has just delivered a major decision involving President Donald Trump’s push to shut down the Department of Education, catching political observers and federal employees off guard.

According to Fox News, Judge Joun issued an order on Thursday blocking the Trump administration from carrying out a sweeping reduction in force at the Department of Education, declaring that closing down the department cannot happen without Congressional approval. The decision immediately halted the mass-firing of Education Department personnel that the administration announced in March.

The judge’s order also required that any employees who had already been let go must be reinstated. Joun cited President Trump’s repeated public statements about his intent to close the department, arguing that the so-called “reorganization” was, in fact, an attempt to bypass Congress and accomplish that goal through administrative means. The ruling has sparked intense reactions from all sides, with legal, political, and educational ramifications sure to follow.

Legal battle shakes Washington

Judge Joun’s decision did not mince words about the administration’s intentions. In his ruling, Joun pointed to President Trump’s campaign promises to shutter the Education Department, stating that the reduction in force amounted to a clear attempt to achieve that objective without legislative approval. He stated plainly, “The idea that Defendants’ actions are merely a ‘reorganization’ is plainly not true.”

Joun’s order emphasized that while the administration acknowledged Congress’s role in closing the department, it simultaneously pursued administrative “efficiency” goals that amounted to the same thing. The judge found no evidence in the record to support the department’s claim that its legislative and administrative aims were distinct.

The Department of Education immediately fired back, denouncing Joun as a “far-left judge” who “overstepped his authority.” In a sharply-worded statement, spokesperson Madi Biedermann said, “President Trump and the Senate-confirmed Secretary of Education clearly have the authority to make decisions about agency reorganization efforts, not an unelected Judge with a political axe to grind. This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families. We will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis.”

Political fight over federal oversight

The controversy did not stop with the Education Department. On Wednesday, only a day before Joun’s decision, another federal judge intervened to block the Trump administration from firing two Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton ruled that at-will firings would undermine the board’s purpose as an independent overseer of federal counterterrorism policies.

Judge Walton wrote that such removals would make the board “beholden to the very authority it is supposed to oversee on behalf of Congress and the American people.” Travis LeBlanc and Edward Felten, the two Democratic members, argued in their lawsuit that board members cannot legally be fired without cause.

Lawyers for President Trump’s administration countered that members of other congressionally created boards do not necessarily have explicit job protections and that it would be incorrect for the court to grant new protections not outlined by Congress. White House spokesman Harrison Fields asserted, “The Constitution gives President Trump the power to remove personnel who exercise his executive authority. The Trump Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”

Critics and defenders react

Critics of Judge Joun’s ruling have painted it as a blatant example of judicial activism aimed at thwarting President Trump’s efforts to streamline the federal government. They argue that elected officials, not unelected judges, should determine how agencies operate. The Department of Education has vowed to fight the ruling, signaling a prolonged legal confrontation.

Supporters of the judge’s decision, including many Democrats and public-sector unions, hailed it as a necessary check on executive power. They argue that Congress created the Department of Education and only Congress can dissolve it. They insist that the mass firing was an attempt to gut the agency and subvert lawful procedures.

The broader context is one of mounting tension between the White House and the federal judiciary, as courts have repeatedly intervened to block key elements of President Trump’s agenda. The ruling underlines the ongoing struggle over the balance of power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in Washington.

Fired employees to return

Thursday’s dramatic order from Judge Myong Joun has put President Donald Trump’s plan to rapidly shrink the Department of Education on hold. The judge ruled that any employees already dismissed in the attempted “reorganization” must be reinstated. The case centers on whether the executive branch can unilaterally shutter a cabinet-level agency established by Congress.

The Trump administration has indicated it will seek an emergency appeal to overturn the ruling, setting up a likely battle in higher courts. As the legal process unfolds, the Department of Education’s operations will continue under existing law, and its employees will return to work.

All eyes now turn to how the administration will respond, with supporters and critics preparing for a protracted fight over the future of federal education policy and executive authority. The next chapters in this legal and political clash will be watched closely by lawmakers, educators, and families across America.