A federal judge in New Hampshire has approved a class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s executive order aimed at ending automatic birthright citizenship for children born to certain non-citizens in the United States.
The judge also issued a temporary block preventing the order’s implementation.
The lawsuit, filed by civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), seeks to protect children potentially affected by the order, which limits birthright citizenship to children with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Plaintiffs argue the order violates the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The executive order sparked legal challenges and public debate over its constitutionality. The class-action status means the lawsuit represents all children who could be impacted by the change in policy nationwide.
The judge’s temporary injunction prevents the administration from enforcing the order while the legal proceedings continue. The ACLU and other groups have voiced concerns about the order’s potential effects on constitutional rights.
This case is part of a wider series of legal disputes over the administration’s immigration policies. Legal experts say the outcome could set an important precedent regarding the interpretation of birthright citizenship under the Constitution.
The Trump administration maintains that the executive order is necessary to address illegal immigration issues.
