Federal judge rules the ACA unconstitutional, but a challenge is certain. As we went to press in late March, the U.S. Department of Justice said it would support a Texas federal judge's ruling to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In Texas v. United States, a lawsuit brought by several Republican-led states, the judge ruled that the ACA was unconstitutional. Reports by CNN and others note that a coalition of Democratic states plan to challenge the ruling, but most agree this issue may likely be decided in the Supreme Court.