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A federal judge has issued a nationwide injunction against President Donald Trump's executive order that aimed to restrict birthright citizenship. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman, appointed by President Joe Biden, ruled on Thursday (August 7) that the order likely violates the Constitution. The injunction was granted after a class-action lawsuit was filed by immigration rights group CASA, representing individuals who would be affected by the order.
Judge Boardman stated that the executive order contradicts the Fourteenth Amendment and conflicts with Supreme Court precedent. She emphasized that the plaintiffs would suffer irreparable harm without the injunction, as it would deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents without permanent legal status. The judge noted that maintaining the status quo of birthright citizenship would not harm the government.
This ruling marks the fourth time a court has blocked Trump's order, which was signed on the first day of his second term. The order directed U.S. agencies to deny citizenship documents to children born to undocumented immigrants or those without at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The Supreme Court previously reviewed the case, focusing on the authority of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions.
The injunction comes amid ongoing legal challenges to the order, with other federal judges in New Hampshire and Massachusetts also blocking it. The ruling reaffirms the constitutional right to citizenship for children born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status.