As the federal government shutdown stretches further into October 2025, its ripple effects are hitting the heart of the U.S. judiciary and education systems, leaving critical services in limbo and thousands of public servants and vulnerable families facing uncertainty. The shutdown, which began on October 1 after Congress failed to agree on a budget, has now entered its third week, raising the stakes for courts, schools, and federally funded programs nationwide.
Starting Monday, October 20, the federal court system, including the Supreme Court, will begin to feel the pinch. According to The New York Times, while the Supreme Court will continue to hold oral arguments, process case filings, and issue opinions and orders, the building itself will close to the public. Only official business will be permitted, shutting out visitors and tourists alike. This comes at a time when the judiciary is already grappling with a mounting pile of legal challenges to the Trump administration’s policies.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which oversees operations across the country’s federal court districts, announced that by Monday, funds would no longer be available to "sustain full, paid operations." While federal judges will continue to receive their pay—thanks to constitutional requirements—many court staff may be limited to working on lifesaving or emergency cases, and some could be required to work without pay under the Antideficiency Act. "Each appellate, district and bankruptcy court will make operational decisions regarding how its cases and probation and pretrial supervision will be conducted during the funding lapse," the agency stated. "Each court and federal defender’s office will determine the staffing resources necessary to support such work."
This decentralized approach is expected to create a patchwork of responses across the nation. Some courts may delay hearings or reduce support staff, while others attempt to keep business as usual for as long as possible. In Illinois, Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District warned, "The shutdown will create delays in the court’s ability to ensure timely justice." She emphasized that dedicated public servants are now facing the harsh reality of suspended paychecks, making difficult financial decisions to keep their families afloat. For now, she said, enough funding remains to continue all scheduled trials and grand jury sessions, but the outlook is uncertain if the shutdown drags on.
Until October 17, the courts had managed to operate relatively unchanged, thanks to a small reserve fund generated from public fees for digital court records. That fund, however, has now run dry, leaving courts to fend for themselves as they await Congressional action. The result? A likely increase in delays, confusion, and inconsistent access to justice depending on where cases are filed.
Meanwhile, the shutdown’s impact on government workers has been severe, especially at the U.S. Department of Education. On October 10, the department laid off more than 450 employees—many of whom oversee special education and civil rights enforcement. This marked the second major round of layoffs this year, following March cuts that already halved the department’s staff from over 4,100 before January to roughly 2,183.
Just days later, on October 15, a federal judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing more government workers during the shutdown, providing a brief reprieve but not a solution. As Capital B News reported, this legal intervention has slowed the pace of layoffs, but the threat to essential services remains. The Department of Education’s homepage now warns that, "due to a lapse of appropriations, information on this website may not be monitored or maintained," and that "inquiries may not receive a response until appropriations are enacted."
For students and families, the uncertainty is palpable. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened earlier than usual this year, and so far, the application process remains unaffected. However, advocates like Blair Wriston, a senior government affairs manager at EdTrust, are worried about the department’s ability to keep up if the shutdown persists. "The longer a shutdown goes on, it does raise some questions about the department’s ability to continue to, you know, stay on top of that," Wriston told Capital B News.
New federal grants and applications for the 2026 fiscal year are currently on pause, adding another layer of anxiety for educators and students alike. More troubling still is the impact on the Office of Civil Rights, which is responsible for enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ensuring equal access to education. With sharply reduced staff, Wriston said, "How the department will be able to effectively process those complaints … it’s a real concern." Complaints that do come in are likely to be addressed at a slower rate, if at all, as the office struggles to keep up with mounting caseloads.
The shutdown’s effects are also being felt acutely at the local level, especially in programs serving the nation’s most vulnerable children. Head Start—a federal initiative that provides early childhood education, meals, health screenings, and other services to low-income families—relies on $12.2 billion in government funding. On October 1, six local Head Start programs did not receive their scheduled funding, and, according to Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, some may have to close as early as October 20, potentially affecting nearly 6,500 children.
"The reality of where we stand right now as it relates to Head Start and the government shutdown is that Head Start is here for children and families, no matter what," Sheridan said. But he warned that resilience alone is not enough: "The mission of Head Start, of being that foundation for success, of being that launch pad for future leaders in every corner of this country, that mission shouldn’t be collateral damage in Washington’s political stalemate. And that’s what’s happening right now."
The stakes are only set to rise. By November 1, an additional 134 local Head Start programs across 41 states and Puerto Rico—serving 58,627 children—will "face the same cliff" and may be forced to close if funding isn’t restored. For many children, these programs are not just about education; they’re a lifeline, providing nutritious meals, health screenings, and early intervention for developmental delays. "Those services can’t wait," Sheridan emphasized.
While some federally funded programs like food stamps, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs are currently unaffected, their future is uncertain, hinging on how long the shutdown lasts and whether Congress can break the impasse. Wriston and Sheridan, along with other advocates and officials, are urging lawmakers to act swiftly. "Unfortunately, resilience alone is not going to fund the government," Sheridan said. "We do urge Congress to take action and make sure that they can come to some sort of an agreement to avoid this."
As the shutdown grinds on, the consequences are multiplying. The Justice Department, for example, has asked judges to suspend litigation in key cases against the government, citing reduced resources. Yet, many judges have refused, and only 11 percent of the Justice Department’s workforce has been furloughed—far less than the over 80 percent at agencies like the Commerce Department. The result is a system under strain, with delays, uncertainty, and frustration mounting on all sides.
For now, the fate of America’s courts, classrooms, and critical social programs hangs in the balance, awaiting a resolution that seems elusive as ever.
