Tribal leaders and state education chiefs say the Trump administration’s plan to reassign major Education Department programs to Labor, Interior and Health and Human Services was announced without required tribal consultation and will create confusion for schools and tribal colleges. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Steve Sitting Bear and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium publicly criticized the transfer, arguing the move shifts responsibilities without adding support. The Education Department signed agreements that move oversight for several Native American education programs to other agencies; Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland said the agencies will “engage closely” with tribes going forward. Tribal officials counter that statutory consultation is mandatory before such reorganizations and that splitting programs across agencies risks diluting funding and complicating oversight for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). State education chiefs have also expressed alarm, telling reporters the plan multiplies bureaucratic touchpoints and could slow services to students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the reshuffle as a step toward state flexibility, but governors and state superintendents warned of implementation challenges as lines of responsibility shift between departments.