By CATHY BUSSEWITZ – Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down Job Corps, a residential program for low-income youth, until a lawsuit against the move is resolved.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter made his decision after a hearing in Manhattan. It bolsters a temporary restraining order Carter issued earlier this month, when he directed the Department of Labor to cease removing Job Corps students from housing, terminating jobs or otherwise suspending the nationwide program without congressional approval.
Founded in 1964, Job Corps aims to help teenagers and young adults who struggled to finish traditional high school and find jobs. The program provides tuition-free housing at residential centers, training, meals and health care.
People are also reading… Virginia High community still mourning after tragic death of popular athlete Chelsey King WRESTLING: Five-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci of Penn State visits Grundy’s wrestling camp Abingdon couple embraces sweet smell of success with farm, sanctuary Alabama man faces additional charges in Bristol cold case murder BRIEFS: Nick Hood steps down as softball coach at Rye Cove; E&H, Ferrum to renew football rivalry Local authors release book about 1983 McClure mine disaster GREGORY COLUMN: Charlie Henderson crafted a lasting legacy in NASCAR and life Crews battle blaze at Bristol Tennessee tire recycling facility Crowd lines Abingdon sidewalks for “No Kings” rally Local Chick-fil-A restaurants offering Dollywood discount coupons HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Christian Taylor’s coaching path leads him back home to Sullivan East HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Last week’s tire flipping competition on State Street between Virginia High, Tennessee High builds excitement for V-T Game HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HOOPS: New state, new team for Scottie Whaley as ex-Science Hill boss now guiding John Battle Trojans Work to begin soon on $8.6M family apartment complex Bristol, Tennessee Council rejects budget, tax rate increase amid public pushback
“Once Congress has passed legislation stating that a program like the Job Corps must exist, and set aside funding for that program, the DOL is not free to do as it pleases; it is required to enforce the law as intended by Congress,” Carter wrote in the ruling.
The Labor Department said in late May that it would pause operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers by the end of June. It said the publicly funded program yielded poor results for its participants at a high cost to taxpayers, citing low student graduation rates and growing budget deficits.
As the centers prepared to close, many students were left floundering. Some moved out of the centers and into shelters that house homeless people.
“Many of these young people live in uncertainty, so it takes time to get housing and restore a lot of those supports you need when you’ve been away from your community for so long,” said Edward DeJesus, CEO of Social Capital Builders, a Maryland-based educational consultancy which provides training on relationship-building at several Job Corps sites. “So the abrupt closure of these sites is really harmful for the welfare of young adults who are trying to make a change in their lives.”
The National Job Corps Association, a nonprofit trade organization comprised of business, labor, volunteer and academic organizations, sued to block the suspension of services, alleging it would displace tens of thousands of vulnerable young people and force mass layoffs.
The attorneys general of 20 U.S. states filed an amicus brief supporting the group’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the case.
Monet Campbell learned about the Job Corps’ center in New Haven, Connecticut, while living in a homeless shelter a year ago. The 21-year-old has since earned her certified nursing assistant license and phlebotomy and electrocardiogram certifications through Job Corps, and works at a local nursing home.
“I always got told all my life, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do that.’ But Job Corps really opened my eyes to, ‘I can do this,'” said Campbell, who plans to start studing nursing at Central Connecticut State University in August.
The program has been life-changing in other ways, she said. Along with shelter and job training, Campbell received food, mental health counseling, medical treatment and clothing to wear to job interviews.
“I hadn’t been to the doctor’s in a while,” she said. “I was able to do that, going to checkups for my teeth, dental, all that. So they really just helped me with that.”
Campbell said she and other Job Corps participants in New Haven feel like they’re in limbo, given the program’s possible closure. They recently had to move out for a week when the federal cuts were initially imposed, and Campbell stayed with a friend.
Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Read more on HeraldCourier.com
