MORGANFIELD, Ky. (WFIE) – A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order to stop preparations to close Job Corps centers across the nation on Wednesday.
This decision comes one day after the National Job Corps Association filed a lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges steps taken by the Department of Labor at the direction of DOGE to eliminate the program are “illegal” and “irrational.”
The National Job Corps Association argues that since Congress created the Job Corps program, it cannot be dismantled by the Department of Labor.
“Shuttering Job corps will have disastrous, irreparable consequences,” the lawsuit alleges. “Including displacing tens of thousands of vulnerable young people, destroying companies that have long operated Job Corps centers in reliance on the Government’s support for the program and forcing mass layoffs of workers who support the program.”
Earle C. Clements Job Corps Academy in Morganfield, Ky. is the second largest of these centers across the nation with more than 500 students and 300 staff.
The center’s director Tessa Gough tells 14 News students started leaving on buses and planes on Wednesday even though many have nowhere to go.
She tells us this action comes after the school received orders that all students needed to be gone by June 12th.
As we’ve reported, the Department of Labor issued a “phased pause” for the program to go into effect on June 30th.
Wednesday’s order from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, means that no more students have to leave for now.
Gough says that Earle C. Clements has stopped preparations to send student’s home.
She tells us the New York judge will oversee a hearing on June 17th to decide whether to keep the temporary order in place.
14 News will be speaking with Earle C. Clements officials more to learn what this order means for students and staff on Thursday.
This story will be updated.
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