Department of Labor pauses Job Corps operations after transparency report; judge issues temporary restraining order

Secretary Laurie Chavez de Reamer told the House Education and Labor Committee on June 5 that the Department of Labor ordered a pause in operations at dozens of Job Corps centers as part of a review prompted by a department “transparency” report that flagged program safety incidents and rising costs.

That pause, Chavez de Reamer said, led the department to notify center operators that some contracts would be halted, with student departures and contract actions planned for late June. A federal judge in the Southern District of New York issued a temporary restraining order the night before the hearing, and Chavez de Reamer said the department will comply with that order and could not discuss certain details in open session.

Why it matters: Job Corps is the largest federal residential job-training program for low-income young people and provides housing, training and other supports to participants who are often disconnected from school or family resources. Committee members on both sides of the aisle emphasized the program’s role for homeless youth, students aging out of foster care and other vulnerable populations and pressed the secretary for specifics about the pause, student protections and next steps.

What the secretary said: Chavez de Reamer described the department’s review as part of an effort to “put American workers first” and to address program safety and cost concerns. She told the committee the department’s recently released Job Corps Transparency Report drew on program-year 2023 data and showed “exorbitant” costs and many serious incidents; she said more than 14,000 serious incidents were reported at Job Corps centers in 2023, according to the report. Chavez de Reamer also said the department has the delegated authority to halt center contracts and program operations but emphasized that only Congress can eliminate Job Corps.

Questions from members: Lawmakers pressed the secretary on several operational specifics the department did not provide in committee because of litigation. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D‑Ore.) said the department ordered 99 Job Corps centers to shut down operations by June 30 and asked whether the department intended to reopen campuses; Chavez de Reamer responded that the department had “paused” operations and will comply with the TRO. Multiple members asked for counts of current students, the department’s plan for students’ housing and transportation, and whether private contractors or outside analysts participated in drafting the transparency report.

Procedural and legal status: Chavez de Reamer told the committee that the TRO restricts what the department can say in public and that the department will provide more information if litigation permits. Several members said they would submit follow-up oversight questions in writing; the secretary agreed to provide additional briefings and documents where legally permissible.

Context and next steps: Committee members from both parties urged prompt, clear answers and protections for students. Several members also said they would press for briefings and documents through committee oversight channels. The department said it will comply with the court order and work with Congress on any next steps, but did not provide a timetable for reopening paused centers or naming replacement operators.

Ending: The committee left the hearing record open for 14 days for members to submit additional material. Members requested written responses and documents related to the transparency report, student counts and the department’s decisions; Chavez de Reamer said she would provide what she could consistent with the court order and applicable legal limits.