Federal judge blocks trump's plan to restrict birthright citizenship
- A federal judge issued a temporary block against Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship.
- The order generated lawsuits from 22 states and various civil rights groups, raising concerns over executive overreach.
- Judge Coughenour asserted that birthright citizenship is a constitutional right fundamental to American national identity.
In the United States, a federal judge imposed a temporary freeze on President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship. This ruling occurred on a Thursday and granted a 14-day halt on the enforcement of the controversial order that Trump had signed shortly after beginning his second term in office. US District Judge John Coughenour, who has a long history on the bench, described the order as blatantly unconstitutional during the hearing in Washington state. His comments reflect significant skepticism regarding the legality of Trump’s actions. Birthright citizenship, which is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, assures that anyone born on US soil is automatically considered a citizen. Coughenour’s statement emphasized the clarity and straightforwardness of the legal issue at hand. He questioned how an attorney from the Justice Department could assert that Trump’s executive order was constitutional. This case has attracted considerable attention as it addresses fundamental issues related to citizenship and the executive authority of the president. The ruling came in light of numerous legal challenges filed by states and civil rights organizations opposing Trump’s order. Altogether, 22 states and multiple cities engaged in litigation against the federal government, arguing that Trump's attempt infringes upon established constitutional rights. The response from state officials highlighted their concerns about executive overreach, stressing that no president can unilaterally alter the Constitution. Commentators asserted that the core principle of birthright citizenship plays a vital role in defining national identity. This tenet, integral to citizenship in the United States, emerged after the Civil War and has been recognized by generations of jurists and lawmakers. Critics of Trump’s executive order articulated how citizenship cannot be conditional upon race, ethnicity, or the legal status of one’s parents, reinforcing the idea that the 14th Amendment has been an essential part of American law for well over 150 years.