The U.S. Department of Education said Tuesday it would lay off nearly half its staff, a possible precursor to closing altogether, as government agencies scrambled to meet President Donald Trump's deadline to submit plans for a second round of mass layoffs.
The terminations are part of the department's "final mission," it said in a news release, alluding to Trump's vow to eliminate the department, which oversees $1.6 trillion in college loans, enforces civil rights laws in schools and provides federal funding for needy districts.
Asked on Fox News whether the firings would lead to the department's dismantling, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said yes, adding that doing so "was the president's mandate." The layoffs would leave the department with 2,183 workers, down from 4,133 when Trump took office in January.
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