A federal judge blocked President Trump’s executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education, ruling it requires congressional approval.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued a preliminary injunction to reinstate over 1,300 employees laid off as part of a move that halved the department’s workforce.

The Trump administration argued the cuts were for efficiency, but the judge rejected that claim as inconsistent. The Department of Education was established in 1979, and its elimination would require Senate approval. The administration pledged to appeal the ruling, accusing the judge of judicial overreach. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 4-4 ruling on a case involving the nation’s first religious charter school, upholding an Oklahoma court decision declaring the Catholic school unconstitutional. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself due to prior associations. The split ruling sets no precedent, allowing religious groups to file a new challenge in the future.