Federal Judge Blocks Trump Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order halting President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, Al Jazeera reports.

District Court Judge John Coughenour, presiding in Seattle, Washington, deemed the order “blatantly unconstitutional” in a ruling issued Thursday.

The executive order, which was part of a larger package of immigration-related measures signed by President Trump, sought to curtail the long-standing constitutional principle of birthright citizenship. This principle, enshrined in the 14th Amendment, grants automatic citizenship to nearly anyone born on US soil.

The President’s move was met with swift condemnation from civil rights organizations, who characterized it as an unprecedented attack on the fundamental nature of US citizenship. Critics expressed concerns that the order could impact not only children born to undocumented parents but also children born to immigrants who are legally residing in the country.

Within days of the order’s signing, at least five lawsuits were filed to challenge it. These suits involve a coalition of 22 states and several civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The US is one of some 30 nations worldwide that adhere to the principle of birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment, which established this right, was adopted after the Civil War to ensure citizenship for formerly enslaved Black people.