A group of 19 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday to stop the Trump administration's rollback of an Obama-era regulation intended to protect student loan borrowers.

Led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, 18 states and the District of Columbia allege that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' decision to delay and eventually replace the so-called “borrower defense” rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act, because the department did not engage in a public notice and comment process in making the decision. Thursday's lawsuit was filed in the district court in D.C., though Healey warned of the looming legal fight last month. The rule was supposed to go into effect July 1.

“Since day one, Secretary DeVos has sided with for-profit school executives against students and families drowning in unaffordable student loans,” Healey said in a statement. “Her decision to cancel vital protections for students and taxpayers is a betrayal of her office's responsibility and a violation of federal law. We call on Secretary DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education to restore these rules immediately.”