Closing of Dallas DOE regional office halts all services to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, union says
Work out of Dallas DOE regional office halted
Eleven Democratic senators are demanding an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, warning the cuts could have "disastrous consequences on the education system." Meanwhile, services to Texas and two other states have already completely come to a halt.
DALLAS - Eleven Democratic senators have sent a letter to the U.S. acting inspector general, demanding an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
The lawmakers warn the cuts could have "disastrous consequences on the education system."
The recent cuts are already impacting services in North Texas.
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Trump signs order to 'begin eliminating' Department of Education
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aiming to "begin eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all."
What we know:
The future of the DOE remains in legal limbo.
The Texas NAACP is the latest organization to file a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order to dismantle the DOE.
In a statement, Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe said, "We will vigorously oppose this unconstitutional overreach and defend every student's right to equal educational opportunity."
Texas leaders show support for eliminating DoE
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton were all at the White House on Thursday to support the president as he signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education.
By the numbers:
When President Trump took office, there were 4,100 DOE workers. As of Friday, the department has shrunk to about half.
Local perspective:
Part of the cuts included closing the regional office in Dallas, which serves all public school students in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
On Tuesday, the union representing federal workers rallied outside the now-closed Downtown Dallas office, along with Environmental Protection Agency employees who are also worried about losing their jobs.
Seria Smith is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 252 Union. She says all work done out of the North Texas DOE district has stopped.
"What happens to the college students in the state of Texas that are applying for student loans? What happens to the college and universities filing for eligibility for Title IV funds to make sure their students can qualify for federal student aid? All of that work has stopped," she said.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order at the White House on March 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump on March 20 signed an executive order to formally begin the process of dismantling the Education De
What they're saying:
Constitutional law attorney David Coale is not involved in this case.
"At some point, they're going to have to do something to kind of coordinate all these separate lawsuits filed by all these organizations, like the NAACP," he said.
Coale says it's a very delicate situation.
"The administration is correct that as the CEO, as the chief executive, Mr. Trump can appoint who he wants to lead the agency and can set priorities for the agency. He can't undo acts of Congress," he said. "He can't get rid of the department entirely or repeal all laws. So somewhere in the middle is where those two principles come together."
What's next:
President Trump says student loan services will move to the Small Business Administration, and other services — like the special education administration — will be absorbed by other federal agencies.
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Student loan repayment plan applications reopened by Education Department: What to know
The U.S. Education Department on Wednesday reopened online applications for income-driven repayment plans for student loan borrowers.
The Source: Information from this article comes from national news coverage, the Texas NAACP, Constitutional law attorney David Coale and previous FOX 4 coverage.