Greenbelt, Maryland: A federal judge in Maryland has become the second judge in the country to block former President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt ruled in favor of two immigrant rights organizations and five pregnant women, who contended that their children faced an unconstitutional denial of U.S. citizenship due to their parents’ immigration status. Boardman, appointed by President Joe Biden, issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, preventing Trump’s order from taking effect as scheduled on February 19.
“Today, virtually every baby born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen upon birth,” Boardman stated. “That is the law and tradition of our country. That law and tradition are and will remain the status quo pending the resolution of this case.”
This ruling provides longer-term relief to challengers of Trump’s policy compared to a previous 14-day temporary block imposed on January 23 by a federal judge in Seattle. That judge, John Coughenour, had described Trump’s order as “blatantly unconstitutional.” Coughenour is expected to determine on Thursday whether to extend his ruling into a preliminary injunction pending further litigation.
Trump signed the executive order on January 20, his first day back in office, instructing U.S. agencies to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the United States if neither of their parents is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
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Legal representatives for the immigrant rights groups CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project argued that the order violated the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
This lawsuit is among at least eight legal challenges filed across the country by Democratic state attorneys general, immigrant rights advocates, and expectant mothers, all contesting the legality of Trump’s directive.
