The layoffs are the first step toward dismantling the department, a goal espoused by President Trump and his education secretary, Linda McMahon.

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.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, in a statement announcing his participation in the lawsuit, said the Education Department’s funding supports vital special education programs, student