In a monumental win for President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with the administration's efforts to return control of education back to the states—and gave the green light to proceed with mass layoffs at the bloated and unaccountable Department of Education.

The high court’s unsigned order effectively lifted a lower court injunction that had blocked the president’s plan to downsize the federal agency. Now, as litigation continues, the Trump administration is free to resume its restructuring efforts, including the long-delayed layoffs of federal bureaucrats.

Within hours of the ruling, the Department of Education began issuing termination notices to nearly 1,400 employees, many of whom had been temporarily reinstated by a lower court. CNN obtained one such email, which notified staff their final day would be August 1.

“This RIF action is not a reflection upon your performance or conduct and is solely due to agency restructuring,” the notice read. Attached was a copy of the Supreme Court’s decision.

President Trump hailed the decision on Truth Social, calling it a “Major Victory” for students, families, and state sovereignty:

“The United States Supreme Court has handed a Major Victory to Parents and Students across the Country, by declaring the Trump Administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education BACK TO THE STATES.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon echoed the president’s sentiments, calling the ruling a “significant win for students and families.”

“Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States… has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”

McMahon added that the agency is now free to carry out the reduction in force (RIF) in a way that promotes efficiency, accountability, and puts families—not bureaucrats—first.

“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.”

Not everyone was pleased. The Court’s three liberal justices, led by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, issued a fiery dissent that read more like a political editorial than a legal opinion.

Sotomayor accused the Trump administration of trying to “cripple” the department, even though its core functions will remain intact and return to state-level governance—where local leaders, not Washington insiders, can better serve children and families.

“Rather than wait for legislative action… McMahon slashed the agency’s workforce in half,” Sotomayor fumed, warning the decision would “unleash untold harm.”

The dissent drew scorn from conservative legal analysts who argue that presidential authority over executive agencies is not optional—and certainly not subject to veto by unelected judges who prefer a centralized, big-government approach to education.

The mass layoffs had originally been blocked by Biden-appointed Judge Myong Joun, after teachers’ unions and far-left advocacy groups sued to stop the effort. In April, Joun sided with them, claiming the Trump administration lacked congressional authority to reorganize the department.

After the First Circuit upheld that ruling, the White House swiftly appealed to the Supreme Court—and won.

Now, President Trump’s vision of a leaner, more accountable federal government is taking shape, beginning with a long-overdue downsizing of a department that many conservatives have long viewed as redundant, intrusive, and ineffective.