Supreme Court Decision on Student Debt Forgiveness Deeply Disappoints Latinx Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30th, 2023
CONTACT
Jackie Elisa Smith | 989-576-1996 | jsmith@poderlatinx.org
Supreme Court Decision on Student Debt Forgiveness Deeply Disappoints Latinx Community
NATIONWIDE - Poder Latinx expresses profound disappointment and concern in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision to reverse President Biden’s plan for student debt forgiveness. This ruling sends a daunting message to countless Latinx students and families who have long struggled to pursue higher education and alleviate the burdens of student loans. Banning student loan forgiveness exacerbates economic challenges toward pursuing education and perpetuates systemic barriers faced by our community. This ruling serves as another reminder of the power of the vote to influence future supreme court appointments and their impact on American lives. By reversing the prospect of debt forgiveness, the Supreme Court has disregarded the struggles faced by countless Latinx students and their families, threatening to further widen the disparities that plague our community.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision in Biden v. Nebraska is painful, and will have lasting effects on the Latinx community. The Supreme Court of the United States has been operating as a political tool, trying to consistently dismantle initiatives that make life better for Americans. Last year, we experienced fear and uncertainty as the court struck down reproductive rights in Roe v. Wade and just yesterday, they struck down Affirmative action, which has given marginalized community members a fairer shot at achieving our dreams. Dismantling President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is just another piece of the puzzle for this court. Of Latinx undergraduate students who began their studies in 2012, 51% borrowed funds to pay for their undergraduate or graduate education. This plan was expected to forgive almost half of all Latinx student debt, which would have been a massive economic advantage to our community,” said Jackie Elisa Smith, Communications Director of Poder Latinx. “As one of the 9% of Latinas in the United States who have earned a graduate degree, I owe $60,000 in student loans. This burden will impact financial decisions I make about buying a house, getting married, and starting a family, and is carried by many Americans, and we need relief now. Poder Latinx stands with our impacted community members and look forward to seeing the Biden Administration and Members of Congress find solutions to provide millions of Americans with student debt relief.”
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