US Judges Block Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Nationwide For Third Time

Washington: US President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship has been blocked nationwide by US judges for the third time in less than a month. The latest ruling, handed down by a federal judge in Boston, outlined the judiciary's commitment to protecting the rights of US-born children of migrants. The latest order was the third time a court ruling has blocked the birthright order nationwide since a key Supreme Court decision in June. 

US District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that a nationwide injunction granted to more than a dozen states remains in force under an exception to the Supreme Court ruling, which restricted the power of lower-court judges to issue nationwide injunctions. The judge noted that an injunction pausing Trump's order nationwide is the only way to offer full protection to the Democratic-led states that filed the suit.

As per reports, Judge Sorokin's ruling was clear, noting that the Trump administration's order was unconstitutional, and a nationwide injunction is necessary to protect the plaintiffs from the injuries they are likely to suffer. The judge rejected the government's argument that the injunction should be narrowed to only address the States' purported financial injuries. "The record does not support a finding that any narrower option would feasibly and adequately protect the plaintiffs from the injuries they have shown they are likely to suffer," Judge Sorokin wrote.

Blow To Trump Administration's Efforts To Restrict Citizenship For Migrants' Children

The judge's ruling criticised the Justice Department's lawyers for failing to provide useful details about how a more limited injunction would work. "With stakes this high, the court simply cannot adopt the defendants' blase approach to the details and workability of a more limited injunction," the judge said. The decision is a big blow to the Trump administration's efforts to restrict citizenship to babies with at least one parent who is a US citizen or green card holder.

The Trump administration has asserted that children of noncitizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and therefore not entitled to citizenship. However, plaintiffs argued that the principle of birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Constitution, and that Trump does not have the authority to issue the order.

Meanwhile, the ruling has huge implications for the citizenship rights of children born to parents who are in the country illegally. If the US President's order were to take effect, it would deny citizenship to hundreds of thousands of American-born children, causing irreparable harm to families across the country. The States have argued that Donald Trump's birthright citizenship order is blatantly unconstitutional and threatens millions of dollars for health insurance services that are contingent on citizenship status.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in New Hampshire issued a ruling prohibiting Trump's executive order from taking effect nationwide in a new class-action lawsuit. A San Francisco-based appeals court also found the President's executive order unconstitutional and affirmed a lower court's nationwide block. A Maryland-based judge said she would do the same if an appeals court signed off.

After the blocking of the President's executive order, the issue is expected to move quickly back to the nation's highest court. Judge Sorokin acknowledged that his order would not be the last word on birthright citizenship, and that the Supreme Court will ultimately settle the question. However, for now, Donald Trump's efforts to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily will remain blocked unless the Supreme Court says otherwise.