A federal judge issued a second temporary hold on President Donald Trump’s executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents residing illegally. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman ruled on Wednesday that no court in the country has backed the Trump administration’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.
Judge Boardman’s ruling followed a similar temporary injunction issued earlier in Washington state, where a judge deemed the order “blatantly unconstitutional.” The administration’s policy, announced during Trump’s inauguration week, has faced intense opposition, with 22 states and several organizations filing lawsuits to block the executive action.
The legal challenge is being led by immigrant-rights groups like CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, along with a group of expectant mothers. They argue that birthright citizenship is a cornerstone of U.S. democracy and has been integral to the nation’s laws since the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868, particularly in the aftermath of the Civil War.
At the heart of the dispute is the Trump administration’s assertion that children born to noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. and therefore not entitled to citizenship. The plaintiffs, however, argue that the Fourteenth Amendment’s language guarantees citizenship to all people born on U.S. soil, irrespective of their parents’ immigration status.
The controversy has drawn widespread legal challenges. While 22 states with Democratic attorneys general seek to halt the executive order, 18 Republican attorneys general are backing the president’s stance by joining lawsuits in other states, such as New Hampshire.
This ongoing legal battle over birthright citizenship highlights the deep divisions over immigration policy in the U.S. and the long-term implications for American families and communities. The final decision could shape the nation’s approach to citizenship for years to come.
(Inputs from AP)
