The Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Labor. A U.S. District Court judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor violated the law when it terminated contracts with organizations that managed 99 JOb Corps centers throughout the country, including two in Alabama. (Official Department of Labor photograph)
A federal judge on Friday prohibited the U.S. Department of Labor from terminating management contracts for 99 of 124 Jobs Corps Centers in the country, keeping the centers in Gadsden and Montgomery open in Alabama for the time being.
U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the District of Columbia wrote that the department violated the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in closing the centers down.
“The WIOA requires DOL to engage in certain procedures — including a period of notice and comment — before closing any Job Corps center,” Friedrich said in her ruling. “The Department failed to comply with these statutory requirements.”
According to the accompanying news release, a federal district court in New York issued a ruling to halt the closures at the end of June but then narrowed the application of the preliminary injunction to prevent the closing of only 31 job centers while allowing the rest to close in light of the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. CASA Inc. that limits the use of preliminary injunctions by lower courts.
Job Corps was established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson to provide not only education and job training, but also a place to live for low income individuals.
This ruling halts the closures once more and allows students who are lower income to continue receiving benefits and education.
“This program has consistently reduced unemployment and homelessness, empowered underserved communities — especially for Black and Brown youth—and breaks the cycle of poverty through education, training, and opportunity,” said Scott McCoy, deputy legal director of Southern Poverty Law Center, which sued to block the closures. “Now is the time to double down: Job Corps is a direct investment in our nation’s future which must be protected, expanded, and fully funded to deliver on its promise of equity and upward mobility.”
In a statement Monday Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed called the ruling “a big win for Montgomery and all of Alabama.”
“Job Corps isn’t just a program — it’s a lifeline,” the statement said. “It creates opportunity, reduces unemployment, and gives hope to those who need it most.”
A message was left with the national and regional office of the Department of Labor on Friday seeking comment.
The lawsuit is one among many challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate federal education and training initiatives.
Russell T. Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in a May letter to Congress that the administration was eliminating the Job Corps program.
The lawsuit states that the Department of Labor did not follow a prescribed process to eliminate the Job Corps program.
Students enrolled in the program, including Anaria Cabrera, one of the named plaintiffs, would be able to continue with their education. Cabrera is currently studying to obtain a certified nursing assistance degree and was told that she must leave the center.
The department argued that it was only pausing the operations at the centers and not eliminating them and claimed the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge them.
Montgomery Mayor Steve Reed said the ruling is a win for the city and will ensure that more young people will have access to training and education.
“Job Corps isn’t just a program — it’s a lifeline,” Reed said. “It creates opportunity, reduces unemployment, and gives hope to those who need it most. We’re thankful for this decision, but the fight isn’t over. We need permanent support to protect these vital centers for the future.”
From Alabama Reflector Post Url: Visit
Author: Ralph Chapoco