A federal judge has granted a national preliminary injunction that will halt the closure of Job Corps campuses for now.
The decision, issued Wednesday, prevents the Department of Labor from shutting down the Job Corps program while a lawsuit against the closure is still in motion. It follows an extension of a temporary restraining order issued last week.
The injunction is not a permanent solution, but does provide “immediate stability to Job Corps students, staff, employers, partners and communities,” wrote Melissa Padgett, a business community liaison and work-based learning specialist at Tongue Point Job Corps Center in Astoria, in an email to community partners.
Tongue Point Job Corps center was one of 99 such centers serving low-income youth that faced closure following an announcement by the Department of Labor at the end of May that it was pausing the Job Corps program.
Tongue Point, one of the nation’s oldest Job Corps centers, was slated to close by June 30, a potential impact to around 300 hundred students and 165 employees.
Of immediate concern to Astoria city leaders and local groups were the employees and their families and students who rely on on-campus housing, among them students who would not have a safe or stable home to return to when the center closed.
In the days after the closure announcement, the Astoria City Council organized a community meeting to take testimony from Tongue Point students and staff and others in the community. At the same time, area nonprofits and churches rallied to find housing options for people impacted by the impending closure.
On Monday, the Astoria City Council approved a resolution and letter of support for Tongue Point.
“For decades, Tongue Point Job Corps has provided high-quality training in maritime trades, welding, carpentry, health care, and other essential industries. It serves hundreds of young people—many of whom face significant barriers to employment and education—by offering free housing, meals, counseling, academic support, and job placement assistance,” the city’s letter read. “These are not just services; they are lifelines.”
The letter stated that closing the center would have serious consequences including the displacement of students, economic impacts, workforce shortages, loss of housing and more.
On Friday, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici visited Astoria and met with students and staff from Tongue Point. She vowed to continue to fight for the center.
For previous reporting by KMUN on this issue see the following stories: