In a significant development, a federal judge in the US has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump¡¯s executive order ending birthright citizenship for babies born on American soil, irrespective of their parents' immigration status. US District Court Judge John C. Coughenour issued the order on Thursday, three days after Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon filed suits against the Trump administration over the executive order.
Siding with the states, the District Court Judge held that the executive order ending birthright citizenship for undocumented and temporary residents of the US was "blatantly unconstitutional." The judge has blocked Trump¡¯s executive order for 14 days, renewable upon expiration.
"I've been on the bench for over four decades, I can't remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is," Judge Coughenour, who was appointed by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan, noted.
Responding to the court blocking the executive order, Trump said, ¡°Obviously, we¡¯ll appeal it.¡±
While the District Court blocking the executive order is a significant development, it wasn't totally unexpected, and many, including the Trump administration, were expecting it to be challenged legally.
Opponents of the legislation had argued that ending birthright citizenship violated the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
The 14th Amendment was passed in 1868 following the end of the American Civil War to ensure citizenship and other rights to formerly enslaved African Americans.
According to Section 1 of the 14th Amendment: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
Trump had vowed to end birthright citizenship as part of his wider crackdown on illegal immigration to the US.
As per Trump's executive order, which was supposed to come into effect on February 20, children born on US soil to undocumented immigrants and those on temporary, work, study, business, or tourist visas will no longer be eligible for US citizenship by birth.
For more news and current affairs?from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.