Court ruling and official announcements after the hearing

Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked by Seattle Judge Amid 22 States' Lawsuits

Jan 25, 2025, 12:00 PM

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in the United States, a constitutional right enshrined in the 14th Amendment since 1868. The order aims to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who lack permanent legal status, marking a departure from over a century of legal precedent upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1898 case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark. The order has faced immediate legal challenges, with a federal judge in Seattle, John Coughenour, temporarily blocking its implementation for 14 days, calling it 'blatantly unconstitutional.' Legal experts argue that the order contradicts the clear language of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all individuals born in the U.S. except for children of foreign diplomats. The Department of Justice has vowed to defend the order, which could potentially leave hundreds of thousands of children stateless and without access to government services. The legal battle includes lawsuits filed by 22 states and immigrant rights groups, with hearings scheduled in multiple states, including a February 6 hearing in Seattle and a CASA-led lawsuit in Maryland. The outcome could have significant implications for immigration policy and constitutional law in the U.S.