The United States Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. PHOTO COURTESY OF INVESTOPEDIA

By David L. Snelling

Miami – A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the U.S. Department of Labor’s funding pause for Job Corps training centers nationwide, providing a temporary reprieve for students who were facing imminent displacement and a bleak future.

The court’s ruling, for now, prevents President Trump administration’s funding stay for more than 99 Job Corps centers, including Miami Jobs Corps in Miami Gardens, but doesn’t guarantee a permanent victory.

Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court mostly sided with Trump’s policies and allowed him to carry out his political agenda after being challenged in the lower courts.

Trump is mostly targeting immigrants and disadvantaged people who rely on federal funding and programs to survive.

Only this time, Trump placed Job Corps, which has been around for over 50 years, on the chopping block as part of the massive federal funding cuts for his “Big Beautiful” bill for 20252026.

Students were told to vacate the premises by June 15, 2025 until further notice and were only offered traveling expenses to return to their homes.

The program, which is run by private contractors, is credited for empowering low income and at-risk teens and adults by providing free job training, education and room and board.

Critics say chipping away at Job Corps would leave hundreds of thousands of students without a place to learn and stay with possibly no other alternatives to seek.

The National Job Corps Association (NJCA) stepped in and filed the lawsuit to stop the funding freeze, which would’ve paved the way for the Trump administration to do away with the program altogether.

The Trump administration said the Job Corps program is experiencing a budget deficit and decline in the graduation rate over the past several years.

However, the NJCA disputed the Labor Department’s claims, arguing the graduation rate has remained steady and found no evidence of a budget shortfall.

“The closure of Job Corps campuses would deliver a devastating blow to tens of thousands of young people working to change the trajectory of their lives through education and career training,” the National Job Corps Association said in a statement. “It would also have lasting consequences for employers and the economic stability of communities nationwide, weakening the workforce and our economy.”

NJAC, a group of businesses, laborers and community volunteers, said the temporary restraining order is the first step to prevent the shutdown of Job Corps.

“It is a significant one in ensuring the safety and well-being of the tens of thousands of students who, as of last week, lived on campuses, dedicating themselves to their trades, to becoming skilled workers who positively impact their communities and the American workforce,” NJAC said.

The Trump administration decided to deprioritize all Job Corps centers in all 50 states, sparking outrage by students and parents, suggesting stopping the program marks the end of a promising future for tens of thousands of students.

Miami resident Tammy Mitchell said she was outraged over the proposal to eliminate funding for Job Corps, a program that is shaping the future of her 19-year-old son, Keenan Brown.

She said her son, enrolled at Miami Job Corps, was upset as well as his hard work and dedication might not pay off.

“My son decided to go to school to make a difference in his career path with multiple trades under his belt,” Mitchell said. “The school has not contacted me at any given time to discuss the matter, not even a text message on the outcome.

“My son is a bright young man who is trying to make a difference in nursing and better his life as it begins.”

The U.S. Department of Labor released a report that the program was delivering poor results for the past several years, and ran a $140 million deficit in 2024.

In 2023, the program spent over $80,000 per pupil for a 38 percent graduation rate, the lowest threshold in years.

“Taxpayers deserve to know the facts and outcomes of their multi-billion-dollar investment,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Lori Frazier Bearden said in a statement. “This report underscores the department’s commitment to program transparency and accountability, both of which are essential for effective oversight, informed policymaking, and maintaining public trust.”

The average cost per student was estimated at $80,284, and the 10 least efficient programs average $512,800 dollars per graduate student.

The top 50 least efficient programs average $319,085 per graduate.

In addition, part of the funding stay decision was attributed to a report of nearly 15,000 incidents on campuses nationwide in 2023, including violence, drug abuse and rape.

Job Corps offers job training programs for advanced technology, transportation, medical, homeland security, hospitality, labor and mechanics, among others, to prepare low income people to enter the workforce.

Besides room and board, Job Corps offers students basic healthcare and a living allowance.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter of New York issued the temporary restraining order that prohibited the Labor Department from terminating jobs, removing students from all centers or eliminating the Job Corps program without congressional authorization.

At Miami Job Corps in Miami Gardens, 3050 N.W. 183rd Street, 300 students could be displaced and lose access to free education and job training if the program comes to an end.

Some students are a few credits away from graduating and entering the workforce, according to a report.

In addition, more than 115 staff members could be unemployed.