Federal Judge Blocks Trump Push to End School Desegregation Orders
Friday, November 28, 2025
A Louisiana federal judge has refused to dismiss a 1965 civil rights-era desegregation case, marking the first major legal obstacle to the administration's campaign to end decades-old school integration orders across the South.
U.S. District Judge Dee Drell rejected a joint filing from Louisiana and the Justice Department seeking to immediately dismiss a Concordia Parish desegregation case dating back to 1965. The case was originally brought by Black families demanding access to all-white schools. Judge Drell ruled that the court can reject such agreements when larger public policy interests are at stake, offering instead a hearing for the district to prove it has fully dismantled state-sponsored segregation. Louisiana and the school district have appealed the decision. Critics argue the administration's broader efforts—including gutting the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and promoting school vouchers—could effectively resegregate American schools.
Key Facts
- Judge Dee Drell (George W. Bush appointee) rejected dismissal of a 1965 desegregation lawsuit on Nov. 19, 2025
- Louisiana and Concordia Parish filed an appeal on Tuesday, Nov. 26
- DOJ's civil rights division has dismissed over 3,400 discrimination complaints between March 11 and June 27, 2025
- OCR regional offices in 7 major cities have been shuttered: Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, and Cleveland
- Dozens of 1960s school desegregation cases remain active across Louisiana and the South