WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration from attempting to dismantle the Department of Education.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that bars the Trump administration from firing half the Department of Education’s workforce.

The order from Judge Joun — a Biden appointee — also prohibits the Department of Education from transferring the management of federal student loans to the Small Business Administration.

A group that includes several state attorneys general, schools, and nonprofits challenged Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of the Department of Education last month, arguing the president cannot unilaterally shut down a federal department created by Congress.

Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the efforts to reduce the Department of Education would make it more efficient, and were separate from Trump’s vow to abolish the department.

Judge Joun was unconvinced.

“The record abundantly reveals that Defendants’ true intention is to effectively dismantle the Department without an authorizing statute,” he wrote.