NEW: Department Of Education Closes For ‘Security Reasons,’ Speculation Explodes

The U.S. Department of Education abruptly shut down its offices Tuesday evening, citing unspecified “security reasons,” fueling speculation as the agency prepares for sweeping layoffs under President Donald Trump’s administration.

According to a memo sent to all employees, staff were ordered to vacate the building by 6 p.m. ET and instructed to take their laptops home. The closure applies to the department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as regional offices, with operations expected to resume Thursday.

The directive, issued by James Hairfield from the department’s office of security, facilities, and logistics, did not provide further details on the nature of the security concerns. The agency has yet to release an official statement addressing the matter.

Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that nearly half of the department’s workforce—around 2,200 employees—are set to receive “reduction in force” notices starting Tuesday evening according to Fox News. The cuts align with the administration’s broader push to significantly downsize federal agencies, part of Trump’s long-stated goal of eliminating the Education Department altogether.

Washington, DC, USA – June 24, 2022: Exterior view of the Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Department of Education Building, the Education Department (ED) headquarters in Washington, DC.

The department has informed employees that its offices will shut down on Tuesday evening and remain closed on Wednesday due to unspecified “security reasons,” as stated in a memo distributed to all employees and acquired by CNN.

Tuesday’s closures and pending job losses mark one of the largest workforce reductions in recent agency history. Employees, many of whom expressed shock over the move, noted that even high-profile government events had never resulted in a complete office shutdown.

The layoffs come amid reports that Trump is preparing an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the agency. A draft of the order, obtained by The Wall Street Journal, reportedly states that the department’s existence has failed students, teachers, and families, and directs officials to take “all necessary steps” to close it down within legal limits.

“The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support—has failed,” the draft reportedly states.

The move follows broader restructuring efforts under Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which has already pushed for cuts across multiple federal agencies.

As the situation develops, employees and education leaders nationwide are left grappling with uncertainty over the future of the department—and what it could mean for education policy moving forward.

An email sent to employees stated, “You must vacate the building by that time,” and clarified, “All ED offices in the NCR and the regions will be closed to employees and contractor employees on Wednesday, March 12th.” It further instructed staff to take their laptops home after work on Tuesday.

The email continued, “Please take your laptop with you when you depart on Tuesday. Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday March 12th for any reason. All offices will reopen on Thursday, March 13th, at which time in-person presence will resume.”

According to an employee who spoke with ABC News, while employees with approved telework agreements may work from home, such agreements are largely defunct. The DOE had previously mandated all employees to return to office work late last month.