Trump's birthright citizenship order halted by federal judge
The executive order by President Donald Trump abolishing birthright citizenship has been ruled "blatantly unconstitutional" by a federal court, which has issued a temporary ban on its implementation.
The executive order by President Trump seeks to restrict the automatic granting of citizenship to children born on U.S. soil. The order was signed by Trump on Monday—immediately following the inauguration—as part of an attempt to alter U.S. immigration laws and reverse longstanding precedents.
Judge John Coughenour, presiding in Seattle, granted the request of Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and three other Democratic-led states for an urgent injunction to suspend the implementation of this policy for 14 days.
This decision is intended to allow for further legal proceedings.
"I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case whether the question presented was as clear," said Judge Coughenour.
The judge queried, "Where were the lawyers" when the decision to sign this executive order was made. He further remarked that it "boggled" him that a member of the bar could assert that this order is constitutional.
