When a federal judge has to block the government from dismantling vital services for underprivileged youth, one can’t help but wonder what other necessary programs might be next on the chopping block.
At a Glance
- A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the Department of Labor from closing 25 Job Corps centers.
- The judge ruled that the department’s plan to “pause” the program was actually an attempt to shutter it permanently.
- The Department of Labor cited a $140 million deficit and poor graduation rates as justification for the move.
- The court found the department was overstepping its authority by attempting to defund a program mandated by Congress.
Court Blocks Labor Department’s Attempt to Halt Job Corps
A federal judge has stepped in to stop the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down parts of the Job Corps program, a key federal initiative that has provided vocational and educational training for at-risk youth for 60 years. The preliminary injunction, issued by U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter in New York on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, ensures that 25 contractor-run Job Corps centers will remain operational while a lawsuit against the department proceeds.
The department had announced it was “pausing” new admissions to the centers, citing a $140 million deficit and poor performance. However, the judge saw the move as a thinly veiled attempt to dismantle a congressionally mandated program.
A “Pause” or a Permanent Closure?
In his ruling, Judge Carter sharply rebuked the department’s framing of the move as a mere “pause.” “The way that the DOL is shuttering operations and the context in which the shuttering is taking place make it clear that the DOL is actually attempting to close the centers,” he wrote. The lawsuit, filed by the National Job Corps Association, argued that the shutdown would cause irreparable harm, potentially leading to homelessness for thousands of young people who rely on the program’s residential housing, meals, and healthcare.
The decision was quickly reported by local news outlets across the country, with stations like KOB 4 in Albuquerque sharing the news on X.com, highlighting the national impact of the ruling.
A federal judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down Job Corps – a residential program for low-income youth – until a lawsuit against the move is resolved. https://t.co/VW7ArDRIIh
— KOB 4 (@KOB4) June 26, 2025
A Rebuke of Executive Overreach
The Job Corps was established in 1964 as part of the “War on Poverty” to help low-income youth aged 16 to 24. Judge Carter’s decision emphasized that a cabinet-level department does not have the authority to unilaterally defund a program that has been explicitly created and funded by Congress.
“Once Congress has passed legislation stating that a program like the Job Corps must exist, and set aside funding for that program, the DOL is not free to do as it pleases; it is required to enforce the law as intended by Congress,” Judge Carter wrote in his powerful rebuke, detailed by The Washington Times. The Department of Labor stated it was reviewing the decision but remained “confident that our actions are consistent with the law.”
The ruling stands as a significant check on what critics have called a damaging and hasty decision by unelected bureaucrats, ensuring that for now, a vital lifeline for thousands of young Americans remains open.
