California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined an amicus brief with 21 other attorneys general in support of a proposed class of plaintiffs challenging the termination of Job Corps. The case, Cabrera et al. v. Department of Labor et al., is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Job Corps is a national program providing career training and housing to young Americans from low-income backgrounds.
The termination of this program could affect tens of thousands currently enrolled and housed at campuses nationwide. Last week, in a related case where California also supported an amicus brief, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction favoring the plaintiffs. This injunction prevents the administration from closing Job Corps centers or ending the program without congressional authorization.
In today’s filing, Attorney General Bonta and his colleagues are urging for a similar preliminary injunction in Cabrera. “Gutting Job Corps strips our youth, especially those from underserved communities, of one of the few accessible pathways to stable careers, education, and economic mobility,” said Attorney General Bonta. “An injunction is essential to protect this critical program and uphold the rule of law.”
Job Corps operates nearly 100 residential campuses across the United States. The Trump Administration’s attempt to terminate it could leave many vulnerable young Americans homeless. The brief notes that since its inception by Congress sixty years ago, millions have benefited from its offerings in education, training, housing, healthcare, and community.
The amicus filing emphasizes that an injunction is crucial to safeguard state residents’ interests and support state goals in education and workforce development. It also asserts that federal law and constitutional mandates cannot be disregarded by terminating programs opposed by any administration.
Attorney General Bonta is joined by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin in filing this amicus brief.
A copy of the amicus brief is available here.
