Federal Judge in Texas Strikes Down Biden Student-Loan Forgiveness Program

A federal judge in Texas on Thursday struck down the Biden administration’s student-debt forgiveness plan, imperiling a key administration priority that would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loans for tens of millions of borrowers.

The Biden administration’s plan is an “unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power” that also failed to go through normal regulatory processes, Judge Mark Pittman of the Northern District of Texas wrote in a 26-page opinion.

“No one can plausibly deny that it is either one of the largest delegations of legislative power to the executive branch, or one of the largest exercises of legislative power without congressional authority in the history of the United States,” Mr. Pittman, an appointee of former President Donald Trump wrote.

The Justice Department is appealing the verdict, a spokeswoman said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the ruling and said the Education Department will hold on to borrowers’ applications for debt relief so it can quickly process them if the courts allow the program to move forward.