US Judge Blocks Trumps Executive Order On Citizenship

By Fnf Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 24, Jan 2025, 12:52 pm IST | UPDATED: 24, Jan 2025, 12:52 pm IST

New Delhi: A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday halted the implementation of an executive order by President Donald Trump's administration aimed at restricting automatic birthright citizenship in the United States, labeling the move as ‘blatantly unconstitutional,’ reported Reuters.

Judge John Coughenour, a Seattle-based appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, issued the temporary injunction following an emergency request from Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and three other Democratic-led states. The order blocks the implementation for 14 days, providing time for the ongoing legal challenge to proceed.

"I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can't remember another case whether the question presented was as clear,” Coughenour said while announcing the judgement.

Where were the lawyers when the executive order was signed?" the judge questioned, expressing disbelief. He said it ‘boggled’ his mind that any lawyer would argue the order was constitutional.

The Democratic-led states are pursuing a temporary restraining order, claiming the executive order violates the 14th Amendment. Trump’s executive order instructed US agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the US if neither parent is a citizen or legal permanent resident.

Lane Polozola, representing the state of Washington, argued before the court that ‘births cannot be paused’ as the legal challenge unfolds, highlighting the immediate uncertainty surrounding the citizenship of newborns.

Polozola emphasised that more than 150,000 children could be denied citizenship annually if the executive order is enforced, leading to ‘long-term substantial negative impacts’ on their lives.

He further accused the Trump administration of overlooking these harms in its filings, suggesting that the potential harm ‘appears to be the purpose’ of the order.

(With agency inputs)