A federal judge has extended a temporary restraining order against the Biden administration’s latest student loan forgiveness plan, threatening the White House hope to provide financial relief to tens of millions of Americans ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential elections.
U.S. District Judge Randal Hall, appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, said on Wednesday that he would maintain the order blocking the Biden administration from forgiving student debt for an additional 14 days.
In the meantime, Hall said the could would review the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the Biden’s relief plan, and the Biden administration’s request to dismiss the case.
The continuation of the restraining order is the latest setback to the Biden administration’s efforts to cancel people’s federal student loans. President Joe Biden began promising to alleviate people’s education debts during his 2020 campaign bid, but Republican legal challenges have consistently stymied his attempts.
The development stems from a lawsuit against the president’s aid package brought by seven GOP-led states earlier this month. The states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio — said the U.S. Department of Education’s new debt cancellation effort, like its previous attempts, is illegal.