On Wednesday, Judge Carter granted a preliminary injunction to halt efforts from the Department of Labor (DOL) to close 99 private Job Corps centers that offer food, shelter and vocational resources to impoverished youth. The DOL admitted that it did not follow statutory requirements for closures, but argued that the termination of contracts only paused operations, rather than shuttering any centers. The Court concluded that this was a “distinction without a difference” and that the DOL exceeded its statutory authority.

Earlier this year, the DOL implemented two new policies that gave rise to this lawsuit. First, the DOL stopped performing statutorily required background checks for new applicants, which “effectively prevented new enrollment in the program, because, by statute, new enrollees may not begin the program until after they pass these background checks.” Second, the DOL terminated all contracts with private Job Corps centers and informed them that all centers must be shut down by June 30, 2025. Continue Reading Judge Carter Preliminarily Enjoins DOL From Closing Job Corps Centers