A second federal judge has blocked US President Donald Trump’s initiative to end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented parents, citing a disregard for the Constitution driven by political motives. US District Judge John C. Coughenour’s ruling in Seattle follows a similar decision from Maryland and pauses Trump’s executive order amid ongoing lawsuits from four states and an immigrant rights group. The president’s order aimed to terminate automatic citizenship for children of parents in the US illegally or on temporary legal visas.
Judge Coughenour described Trump’s attempt to alter the 14th Amendment as an infringement on the rule of law, asserting the Constitution’s significance as paramount. His injunction builds on a temporary restraining order he imposed earlier, deeming the executive order “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Currently, 22 states have joined forces in legal challenges against Trump’s directive, arguing it could result in the creation of an underclass of stateless individuals in America. The legal disputes centre around interpretations of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the US. The Trump administration contests that noncitizens aren’t “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US, thus excluding their children from citizenship rights. Appeals from the Justice Department are anticipated as various states continue to pursue their cases against the executive action.