A federal judge on Monday temporarily barred the Education Department from allowing additional loan forgiveness under a key component of President Joe Biden‘s student debt relief plan.
The judge’s order halted the cancellation of loans under the income-driven repayment plan known as SAVE after several states sued over the program.
The Biden administration is “preliminarily enjoined from any further loan forgiveness for borrowers under the Final Rule’s SAVE plan until such time as this Court can decide the case on the merits,” U.S. District Judge John A. Ross wrote.
The Education Department did not immediately provide a comment on Monday evening.
Missouri State Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing one of the states that brought the lawsuit, lauded the ruling.
“By attempting to saddle working Missourians with Ivy League debt, Joe Biden is undermining our constitutional structure,” Bailey said in a statement. “Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the President. Today’s ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone else’s debt.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.