Birthright Citizenship: A Judge's Stand Against Trump's Policy

A federal judge has taken a significant step to block President Donald Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship.

Key Decision

• Judge Joseph Laplante ruled that Trump's executive order goes against the 14th Amendment and long-standing legal precedents.
• This decision is crucial as it comes after the Supreme Court limited the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions.

Impact of the Ruling

• The judge's ruling protects not just the people involved in the lawsuit but also future children who could be affected by Trump's policy.
• He emphasized that taking away citizenship is a serious harm that can't be undone.
• The judge also pointed out that citizenship is one of the most important privileges in the world.

Previous Rulings

• This isn't the first time Judge Laplante has ruled against Trump's policy.
• Earlier this year, he blocked the administration from enforcing the order against members of several nonprofit groups.
• Now, he's expanded that protection to a larger group of people.
• The judge also noted that the Supreme Court suggested class action lawsuits as a better way to challenge the policy.

Justice Department's Concerns

• The judge was sympathetic to the Justice Department's concerns about including parents in the class action.
• Ultimately, he decided that it wasn't feasible given the urgency of the situation.
• He also noted that no court in the country has agreed with the administration's argument that the policy is constitutional.

Executive Order Details

• The executive order, signed by Trump on his first day in office, aims to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country unlawfully or temporarily.
• The Supreme Court has said the administration can't enforce the order for 30 days, but it's unclear how lower courts will respond to the ruling.

Lower Courts' Response

• In the meantime, lower courts around the country are asking the parties to submit legal arguments addressing how the Supreme Court's ruling could impact the nationwide injunctions issued in those cases.
• It's unclear whether any of those courts will narrow their injunctions ahead of when Trump is permitted to enforce the birthright policy.