Earlier this year, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that her department would scale back its workforce by half.

While a federal judge initially blocked that move, the Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a win on Monday by allowing it to proceed. 

Three liberal justices voice dissent

According to Breitbart, America's highest judicial body reversed an order from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun that the employees in question be kept on.

The decision was met with a vociferous dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor along with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

They alleged that their colleagues had handed "the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out."

"The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave," the Democrat-appointed justices asserted.

Education secretary welcomes ruling

However, Breitbart pointed out that Monday's ruling was met with praise in a statement released by Secretary McMahon.

"Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies," she declared.

"While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution," McMahon continued.

"The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers," she continued.

"As we return education to the states, this Administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy," the secretary added.

Supreme Court allows for "large-scale reductions in force"

Monday's decision came nearly a week after The Hill reported that the Supreme Court had overturned a temporary restraining order issued from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston.

Federal employees bracing after Supreme Court greenlights widespread layoffs https://t.co/iRfLO08mqc

— The Hill (@thehill) July 12, 2025

Illston had stopped the White House from implementing an executive order which called for "large-scale reductions in force" at multiple federal agencies, including the State Department.