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DeVos not enforcing pause on wage garnishments, lawsuit says

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2020, file photo, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pauses as she testifies during a hearing of a House Appropriations Sub-Committee on the fiscal year 2021 budget on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Trump administration is barring most international students and all students who entered the U.S. illegally from receiving emergency college grants approved by Congress as part of a $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package. DeVos issued the restriction in new guidelines released Tuesday, April 21, 2020, telling colleges how to distribute more than $6 billion in grants meant to help students cover unexpected costs triggered by the pandemic. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
by: WRTV Staff
Posted:

A new lawsuit accuses the U.S. Education Department of garnishing wages from workers who are behind on student loan payments even after Congress ordered the agency to suspend the practice during the coronavirus pandemic.

The federal suit was filed Thursday in Washington on behalf of Elizabeth Barber, a home health aide in New York, and any other workers whose pay has been withheld.

Congress ordered the department to suspend wage garnishments through Sept. 30 in a rescue package that was approved on March 27.

But Barber said her pay is still getting docked by 12%, leaving her struggling to meet basic needs.

The Education Department declined to comment on the lawsuit but said it has taken immediate actions to halt garnishments.

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