Federal court rules sudden closure of key youth training initiative likely illegal without Congressional approval
Washington D.C. / New York – June 26:
In a major legal setback for the Trump administration, a federal judge has blocked efforts to shut down Job Corps, a long-standing residential job training program for underprivileged youth. The program, which has served low-income young Americans for over 60 years, was slated for closure by the U.S. Department of Labor without Congressional approval.
Judge Andrew Carter, presiding in a Manhattan federal court, ruled that the attempt to terminate the program lacked the legal authority required from Congress and thus was “likely illegal.” His decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Job Corps Association (NJCA) and several of its member organizations, who operate Job Corps centers across the country.
The judge issued a preliminary injunction, which halts any action to dismantle the program while the legal case proceeds. This follows an earlier emergency ruling in June that temporarily protected Job Corps from being shut down.
In a statement released following the decision, the NJCA described the ruling as “a lifeline for the tens of thousands of young people whose futures depend on the training, support, and opportunities that Job Corps provides.”
As of now, the White House and the Department of Labor have not issued any official response regarding the court’s decision.
Job Corps, established in 1964 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, provides vocational training, education, and career placement services to economically disadvantaged youth, ages 16 to 24. It remains one of the federal government’s largest programs for low-income job seekers.
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