On Tuesday the administration said it would relocate certain oversight functions previously housed at the U.S. Education Department, a further step in an ongoing reduction of the agency's direct responsibilities.
Under the latest reassignments, the Department of Justice will assume responsibility for civil rights enforcement and the protection of student privacy, while the Department of Health and Human Services will take the lead on special education initiatives for students with disabilities. The Education Department framed the changes as measures to "reduce federal bureaucracy."
These actions follow earlier moves announced late last year, when the Education Department disclosed new arrangements to share or transfer some of its functions with other federal departments. Those earlier steps set the stage for the current reallocation of specific oversight duties.
The shifts align with a campaign promise by President Donald Trump during his 2024 election bid to dismantle the Education Department and narrow the federal role in education, in favor of increased authority for state governments. The administration has also reduced staffing levels at the agency as part of its broader reorganization.
Advocates for education have responded critically to this trajectory, while civil rights organizations have voiced particular concern about the administration's broader posture toward diversity-related efforts. Critics contend recent enforcement priorities and policy changes reflect a tightening on diversity initiatives across both government and private sectors.
In practice, the administration has deployed the Education Department and other federal agencies to open inquiries and probes of universities and schools on a range of issues, including pro-Palestinian demonstrations against Israel's assault on Gaza, institutional diversity practices, climate-related programs and policies affecting transgender students. Civil rights groups have also protested changes to cultural and historical institutions, arguing that executive actions are reversing progress on long-standing social and historical recognition.
The department's statement announcing the transfers emphasized the need to streamline federal operations. Outside observers and advocacy groups, however, have framed these moves as part of a more comprehensive restructuring that raises questions about enforcement continuity and the future handling of civil rights and disability-focused education programs.
Readout: The latest reassignments move civil rights and student privacy enforcement to the Justice Department and place special education initiatives with the Department of Health and Human Services, continuing an articulated effort to shrink the Education Department's federal role.