$TRUMP

The Trump administration just issued an executive order to begin dismantling the Education Department, putting millions of students’ education and civil rights at risk.Ricardo Mimbela, Communications Strategist..Deirdre Schifeling, she/her, Chief Political and Advocacy Officer, ACLU.This blog was updated on March 21, 2025,,The Trump administration issued an executive order directing the Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the department, eroding its ability to carry out the responsibilities Congress has mandated by law.The Education Department (ED) has historically played a critical role in protecting civil rights, promoting equity, and providing opportunities for all students, including those in marginalized communities, students with disabilities, LGBTQ students, and multilingual learners. This reckless action strips students of vital resources and tears down statutorily mandated functions that are essential to addressing racial and economic inequality in education. It also threatens decades of bipartisan progress toward educational fairness and reverses the commitment of previous administrations — Republican and Democrat alike — to ensure equal access to education. As the Supreme Court unanimously recognized in Brown v. Board of Education, public education is the very foundation of good citizenship.