A US federal judge issued a temporary injunction on Thursday, halting President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship.
The ruling temporarily blocks one of Trump’s most controversial executive orders, signed shortly after he began his second term in office. The order faced multiple lawsuits from 22 states, two cities, and various civil rights organisations.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” said Senior US District Judge John Coughenour during the hearing in Washington state.
Coughenour, appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, added, “I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one.”
Birthright citizenship, guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, asserts that anyone born on US soil is a citizen. Trump’s order sought to exclude individuals in the country illegally or on a visa, claiming they were not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US.