Trump To Defund Department Of Education; DOGE Crackdown Puts Many Employees on Leave

President Donald Trump's administration is all set to defund the federal Education Department, according to a White House official on Monday.

The draft order acknowledges that only Congress has the power to shut down the department, so it directs the agency to start reducing its size. The official said the public announcement may happen later this month.

The process has already begun, with the new administration trying to cut the workforce by placing many employees on administrative leave and encouraging staff to voluntarily resign, Reuters reported.

Republicans had previously criticized the Education Department under former President Joe Biden, especially over student loan forgiveness and policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Trump has already signed executive orders to eliminate DEI programs across the federal government. ABC News reported on Monday that many Education Department employees received letters on Friday, placing them on administrative leave after business hours.

This is part of a campaign led by billionaire Elon Musk and his allies. Around 20 people from Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) have started working within the Education Department to reduce spending and staff, The Washington Post reported.

Some DOGE staffers have gained access to sensitive internal systems including a financial aid dataset with personal information of millions of students in the federal student aid program.

During the campaign, Trump had said he will abolish the Department of Education in line with the proposals of the controversial Project 2025.

"I would not hold my breath that [closing the department] would ultimately become law," Republican Representative Tim Walberg of Michigan, who chairs the House Education Committee, told The Washington Post last month.

Since being sworn in on Jan. 20, Trump has signed over 300 executive orders and taken other actions that are affecting Americans and people around the world.

These orders aim to fulfill his campaign promises on issues such as illegal immigration, reducing the size of the federal workforce, energy and environmental policies, gender and diversity, abortion, and the military.

Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, imposed a ban on asylum for migrants, and restored U.S. participation in anti-abortion international pacts. He signed executive orders affecting the military, including reinstating troops dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and removing diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements.

Trump also paused all federal grants and loans, disrupting various public programs, and ordered federal workers to return to the office full-time. He signed an order to eliminate government diversity programs and instructed officials to identify countries with weak vetting processes for potential suspension of admissions.

Furthermore, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, continuing his stance from his first term.