A U.S. federal judge has put a temporary stop to an executive order aimed at limiting automatic birthright citizenship on Thursday. The judge deemed the order “blatantly unconstitutional.”
What Happened: Judge John Coughenour, stationed in Seattle, issued a temporary restraining, effectively blocking the enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order, as per a Reuters report. The order was issued at the behest of four Democratic-led states: Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon.
The executive order instructed U.S. agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. if neither parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. “I am having trouble understanding how a member of the bar could state unequivocally that this order is constitutional,” Coughenour told a U.S. Justice Department lawyer defending the order.
The states contended that Trump’s order contravenes the citizenship clause of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States. “This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour stated.
Trump said on Coughenour’s ruling, “Obviously we’ll appeal.”
Why It Matters: The executive order was part of a slew of actions the president pledged to take immediately after his inauguration. The order was a continuation of his long-standing stance against birthright citizenship, a position he had reaffirmed during his campaign.
Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, had previously criticized his stance on birthright citizenship, emphasizing its importance in the context of their family’s history in America.
The temporary restraining order will prevent Trump’s policy from being enforced nationwide for 14 days, during which Judge Coughenour will consider whether to issue a long-lasting preliminary injunction.
The arguments over this will be heard on Feb. 6. If Trump’s order is allowed to stand, more than 150,000 newborn children would be denied citizenship annually, according to the Democratic-led states.
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