The Trump administration cut about half the agency’s work force, saying the move would enable it to deliver services more effectively. The attorneys general called the layoffs “reckless and illegal.”

The Thursday lawsuit said laying off nearly 2,000 people at the department will hurt schools and universities across the country.

A coalition of 20 states has sued the Trump administration over plans to eliminate nearly half of the staff of the Education Department, saying the move would effectively dismantle the agency. The group led by Democratic attorneys general in states including Arizona,

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte laid on the praise for President Donald Trump on Thursday as the two met in the Oval Office at a time when the president’s comments have raised doubts about his commitment to the transatlantic alliance and its mutual defense treaty.