Federal Court Halts Job Corps Closures, Leaves Program’s Future in Congressional Hands

The Excelsior Springs community and others across the country received long-awaited clarity this week regarding the future of the Job Corps program. A federal district court has ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor acted unlawfully when it attempted to close all 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide, including the Excelsior Springs campus. The ruling effectively blocks any abrupt shutdown of the program—at least for now—and shifts the program’s long-term fate to Congress.

The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of seven Job Corps students and a nationwide class of participants. The plaintiffs were represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), who argued that the Department of Labor overstepped its authority when it issued a directive to shut down the centers by June 30, 2025.

The court sided with the plaintiffs, stating that the Department’s actions violated federal law—specifically, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which governs how the Job Corps program must operate. In its ruling, the court found that “the record unequivocally demonstrates that DOL unlawfully ‘closed’ all 99 privately operated Job Corps centers,” directly contradicting the Department’s claim that it was merely “pausing” operations.

For the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center, which employs nearly 200 staff and serves hundreds of students annually, the ruling means the center will remain open as legal proceedings continue and budgetary decisions shift to Capitol Hill.

“The Department’s ludicrous argument to the court, that in shutting down 99 Job Corps centers it was not actually closing those centers, was a naked attempt to evade clear law,” said Adam Pulver, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.

Scott McCoy, deputy legal director for the SPLC, emphasized the broader implications: “Job Corps is a direct investment in our nation’s future which must be protected, expanded, and fully funded to deliver on its promise of equity and upward mobility.”

The ruling doesn’t permanently safeguard Job Corps. It does, however, stop the Department of Labor from unilaterally closing the program without congressional involvement. This means continued operations now depend on whether Congress chooses to fund the program in the upcoming fiscal year.

Local officials and center advocates are expected to continue urging Missouri’s federal delegation: Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, along with Congressman Sam Graves—to support full funding for the program in the final FY 2026 budget.

For students at the Excelsior Springs center, the court’s decision offers temporary relief and more time to complete their education and training. But the outcome remains uncertain as the appropriations process moves forward in Washington.