A federal judge has issued a decisive ruling blocking the enforcement of former President Donald Trump’s executive order, which sought to limit birthright citizenship in the United States. The policy, one of Trump’s most controversial, was scheduled to take effect on February 19 but has now been indefinitely halted by District Judge Deborah Boardman.
In her decision, Judge Boardman emphasized that denying birthright citizenship would result in irreparable harm, referencing established Supreme Court precedent which affirms the constitutional right to citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil. Boardman pointed out that Trump’s order contradicts the plain language of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all individuals born in the country.
“No court in the country has ever endorsed the president’s interpretation,” Boardman stated. “This court will not be the first.”
This ruling follows a similar decision in Washington state, where Judge John Coughenour called the policy “blatantly unconstitutional” and issued a 14-day stay in January. Trump’s administration has vowed to appeal these decisions.
The legal challenge centers around the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, which grants citizenship to all individuals born in the U.S. Trump’s executive order argued that children born to parents in the country illegally or on temporary visas should not be entitled to citizenship. Opponents have cited the 1898 Supreme Court case of Wong Kim Ark, which reaffirmed birthright citizenship, ruling in favor of a Chinese-American man who was denied reentry to the U.S.
As the legal battle continues, this ruling represents a significant setback for the former president’s efforts to reshape immigration policies.
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