New York Attorney General Letitia James Thursday led a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education (ED). Following President Donald Trump's March 11th announcement that the Education Department would be firing approximately 50% of its workforce as part of its goal of a “total shutdown” of the Department.

The Trump administration cut about half the agency’s work force, saying the move would enable it to deliver services more effectively. The attorneys general called the layoffs “reckless and illegal.”

The lawsuit argues the cuts would harm students, especially those who are in low-income families or have disabilities.