The nonprofit Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates filed a class-action lawsuit Friday against the United States Department of Education for allegedly obstructing its own Office for Civil Rights.

California and other Democratic states allege Trump's cuts amount to an illegal shutdown of the Education Department's crucial, congressionally mandated work, including protecting civil rights.

The lawsuit asks a judge to immediately pause the Trump administration's mass firings and declare that the dismantling of the Department of Education unlawful.

A group of states, including Michigan, argued in court that the Department is vital to providing educational services throughout the U.S.