CA joins Democratic-led states in lawsuit to block layoffs at Education Department

The Trump Administration's stunning firing of nearly half the workforce of the Federal Department of Education is being challenged in court.

A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed a suit to block the cuts, calling them illegal and catastrophic. Leading the charge is California's AG Rob Bonta.

This is just the latest lawsuit filed by California's attorney general against the Trump Administration.

Rob Bonta and a coalition of 20 other Democratic Attorneys General say Trump's sweeping cuts to the Department of Education are flat out illegal. They state that the layoffs are so severe that the department "can no longer function, and cannot comply with its statutory requirements."

Bonta and his counterparts from Massachusetts, New York, and Hawaii announced the lawsuit in a joint press conference Thursday morning.

The lawsuit alleges the cuts will result in a loss or delay of federal money for public schools and will leave the agency unable to administer college financial aid or enforce civil rights laws at schools, among other disruptions.

A department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The department has insisted previously it will continue to deliver on its statutory obligations, despite the cuts.

Bonta says the cuts are "blatantly illegal, violating separation of powers."

"The president will do what he does. He has been reckless and dangerous, and we are not concerned about that. We are concerned about the people we are protecting the rule of law when upheld ensures that congressional intent is carried out that critical essential services are carried out to the American people -- our eighth lawsuit," Bonta said.

The Department of Education on Tuesday announced nearly half of its 4,100-employee workforce would be cut. Some Education Department employees have left through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants the agency shut down, calling it wasteful and overly influenced by liberal thinking.

The suit says only Congress has the power close the department or dismantle its core work.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the cuts will impair necessary services for students and families.

"This outrageous effort to leave students behind and deprive them of a quality education is reckless and illegal. Today I am taking action to stop the madness and protect our schools and the students who depend on them," James said.

Regional offices, including one in San Francisco's South of Market Area, would close.

This is exactly what President Trump campaigned on, wanting to shift more responsibility for education from the federal to the state government. Bonta says that's going to devastate public education, particularly for low-income communities.

The full list of states include:

• New York


• Massachusetts


• Hawaii


• California


• Arizona


• Colorado


• Connecticut


• Delaware


• DC


• Illinois


• Maine


• Maryland


• Michigan


• Minnesota


• Nevada


• New Jersey


• Oregon


• Rhode Island


• Vermont


• Washington


• Wisconsin

Associated Press contributed to this report.