Attorney General Lopez has spearheaded a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the Trump administration's plans to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). This legal action follows an earlier lawsuit filed on March 13, after the administration announced intentions to cut 50% of ED’s workforce.
The urgency intensified with President Trump's March 20 Executive Order directing the closure of ED and his subsequent announcement mandating immediate transfers of student loan management and special education services outside of ED. The coalition seeks a court order to prevent these actions, which they argue would violate federal law.
"The Department of Education is essential, and it cannot be eliminated or incapacitated by the Trump administration without violating federal law," stated Attorney General Lopez. He emphasized that the proposed workforce cuts and function transfers could severely harm states and students.
University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel expressed concern over potential impacts on over 100 programs and hundreds of jobs at the university. "Closing the U.S. Department of Education is a potentially catastrophic blow to students," she remarked, highlighting support for the legal challenge.
Hawai‘i Department of Education Superintendent Keith T. Hayashi also voiced apprehension about threats to critical programs aiding students with disabilities, English learners, and those in high-need schools. He stressed reliance on ED's guidance for compliance and planning.
The coalition contends that mass layoffs have already led to closures within ED’s Office for Civil Rights nationwide and delayed crucial funding for state school systems. They argue that such disruptions are illegal, as Congress authorized ED's creation and its programs.
The state of Hawaiʻi is represented by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, Deputy Solicitors General Ewan Rayner and Caitlyn Carpenter, along with Special Assistant Dave Day. Attorneys general from multiple states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin as well as the District of Columbia have joined this effort.