Official court ruling or public announcement from the U.S. Court of Appeals

Judge Blocks Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order as 'Unconstitutional'; Trump Vows to Appeal

Jan 24, 2025, 02:16 AM

A U.S. federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship, calling it 'blatantly unconstitutional.' U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, appointed by Ronald Reagan, stated, '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.' The judge's ruling imposes a 14-day stay on the enforcement of the order, which was signed by Trump on January 21 and sought to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the United States to non-citizen parents. Twenty-two Democratic attorneys general and civil rights groups filed lawsuits challenging the executive order, arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states, 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.' President Trump responded to the ruling by stating, 'Obviously, we'll appeal it,' adding, 'There's no surprise with that judge.' The Department of Justice said it would 'vigorously defend' the executive order in court.