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.

Colorado's Attorney General has joined 20 other states in suing the president's administration to stop what they call the "illegal dismantling" of the U.S. Department of Education.

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his contention that European countries have been taking advantage of the U.S. by not spending more on defense.

President Donald Trump hosts NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. The leader of the 32-member transatlantic military alliance meets Trump at a key moment for Europe and NATO, with Trump’s apparent pivot toward Russia leaving members uneasy.