Judge Halts Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Following Supreme Court Ruling
A US judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors, as a legal challenge progresses. The decision, made by a New Hampshire judge, approves a class action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of immigrant parents and their infants.
The ruling temporarily pauses Trump’s order, which seeks to revoke the constitutional right to citizenship for those born on US soil, a key part of his immigration crackdown. The judge’s decision comes weeks after the Supreme Court imposed limits on universal injunctions by federal courts, though certain legal pathways for such rulings remain open. The class action suit was filed in line with these new standards. The White House contested the ruling, with spokesman Harrison Fields calling it “an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s clear order against universal relief.” He accused the judge of abusing class action certification procedures and vowed that the Trump administration would “vigorously” fight the decision. The government has seven days to appeal. The Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 ruling, backed by its conservative majority, curtailed judicial power to issue nationwide injunctions but did not address the constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship order. The policy, a priority for Trump since taking office, was set to take effect on 27 July before this latest ruling. The ACLU’s lawsuit argues that the order is unconstitutional and harmful, representing the interests of infants who would be affected. Multiple courts had previously issued nationwide injunctions to block the order during legal challenges, prompting the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court. This development marks another setback for Trump’s immigration agenda as the legal battle continues.