WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to strike down a $400 billion student loan forgiveness program was President Joe Biden’s latest high-profile legal defeat.
But it wasn’t all bad news for Biden in the nation’s highest court.
Despite the court’s conservative lean, the Justice Department successfully defended several of the Democratic president’s policies in the Supreme Court, including on immigration.
Here’s a look at some of Biden’s biggest wins and losses:
Loss: Student Loans
As long expected, the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans. The plan, which Biden announced nearly a year ago, delivered on a campaign promise. But a 6-3 Supreme Court majority said the administration overstepped its authority by trying to approve the effort without passing legislation through Congress.
Victory: Ejection Priorities
During his first year in office, Biden officials said they would prioritize certain immigrants into the country illegally for deportation, such as those who pose a threat to national security or public safety. Texas and Louisiana have sued, arguing that Biden lacks the power to decide which immigrants to prioritize. In an 8-to-1 decision on June 23, the Supreme Court said the states lacked standing to sue.
Loss: Vaccine mandates
Last year, the Supreme Court rejected one of Biden’s signature efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic: a mandate for large employers to demand a vaccine or testing for the virus. The unsigned notice said the law used to establish the mandate did not give the administration authority to regulate public health beyond the workplace.
In a second opinion, the court authorized a vaccination mandate for people employed in health care facilities that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid.
To be won: Abortion pill
Most of the provisions involved in the legal battle over the mifepristone abortion pill this year related to policies implemented long before Biden became president. However, in late 2021, the Biden administration made permanent a policy allowing distribution of the drug by mail. In April, the Supreme Court allowed that policy and several others to remain in place while a lawsuit challenging the drug’s approval continues.
Victory: Stay in Mexico
Biden reversed the Trump-era Stay in Mexico 2021 policy, ending the requirement for migrant asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their claims to be considered. Conservative States sued, alleging the administration failed to follow the law in canceling the program. Last year, in a 5-4 opinion, the Supreme Court sided with Biden on the policy.
Draw: Title 42 expulsions
Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal challenging the end of Title 42, the pandemic-era policy adopted by the Trump administration that allowed border officials to quickly remove migrant asylum seekers. Several conservative states have sought to defend the title 42, and the high court agreed to hear their case. But the moment the court got to it, the Biden administration announced it would lift the national COVID emergencies that allowed Title 42 evictions. The challenge became moot, and the High Court dismissed it the month before. last.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Student loans: A look at Biden’s Supreme Court case