Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called for the Department of Education (DOE) to be abolished.

However, the White House was left scrambling earlier this week when a federal judge moved to block Trump's plan. 

Judge says no

According to Fox News, that outcome came in the form of a ruling which was handed down on Monday by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun.

"The idea that Defendants' actions are merely a 'reorganization' is plainly not true," Fox News quoted Joun as having asserted in his opinion.

"Defendants do acknowledge, as they must, that the Department cannot be shut down without Congress’s approval, yet they simultaneously claim that their legislative goals (obtaining Congressional approval to shut down the Department) are distinct from their administrative goals (improving efficiency)," he continued.

Joun, who was appointed to the bench in 2023 by former President Joe Biden, went on to insist that "[t]here is nothing in the record to support these contradictory positions."

Administration appeal likely

Fox News noted that Joun's ruling was met with sharp criticism from Madi Biedermann, who serves as a spokeswoman for the DOE.

BREAKING: Federal judge blocks Trump admin moves to dismantle Dept of Education pic.twitter.com/gWnBjEiQVn

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 22, 2025

"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," she said in a statement.

"This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families," Biedermann continued before adding that the administration "will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis."

Trump calls for state-focused shift

In his March 20 executive order, Trump asserted that "[c]losing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them."

He stressed his belief that "American reading and math scores are near historical lows," something he pointed to as evidence that the "education bureaucracy is not working."

"Ultimately, the Department of Education’s main functions can, and should, be returned to the States," the president went on to declare.

Meanwhile, White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News that "President Trump's executive order to expand educational opportunities will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students."