Judge Blocks Trump’s Order Limiting Birthright Citizenship
A U.S. judge has temporarily stopped former President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to limit birthright citizenship in the United States. On Thursday, Seattle-based Judge John Coughenour ruled that the order was “blatantly unconstitutional.” Trump signed the order on his first day back in office, directing U.S. agencies not to recognize the citizenship of children born in the U.S. if their parents were not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The ruling came after four Democratic-led states—Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon—asked the court to block the order. Judge Coughenour, who was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, said he didn’t understand how anyone could argue the order was constitutional. Trump’s team said they plan to appeal the decision. The states argued that the order violated the 14th Amendment, which guarantees U.S. citizenship to anyone born in the country.
