AFT Sues Trump for Blocking Access to Loan Repayment Plans

The American Federation of Teachers sued the Education Department on Wednesday, accusing the Trump administration of “effectively breaking the student loan system.”

The lawsuit, filed in the Washington, D.C., federal district court, stems from the Trump administration’s decision three weeks ago to pause all income-driven loan repayment plan applications. The teachers’ union is seeking a court order to restore borrowers’ access to IDR and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, a debt-forgiveness tool for public servants, arguing that denying borrowers’ access to affordable loan payments is a violation of federal law.

“The former president tried to fix the system for 45 million Americans, but the new president is breaking it again,” AFT president Randi Weingarten said in a news release. “Today, we’re suing to restore access to the statutory programs that are an anchor for so many, and that cannot be simply stripped away by executive fiat.”

AFT will be represented by the Student Borrower Protection Center and Berger Montague PC.