For the second time in less than a month, a federal judge has blocked Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, ruling that the move is likely unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on Wednesday, calling Trump’s order a direct violation of the 14th Amendment and “contrary to our nation’s 250-year history of citizenship by birth.”
Trump’s order, issued on his first day back in office, was immediately met with legal challenges. Boardman’s ruling follows a similar decision from another judge, who put the order on hold days after it was announced.
“The order conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment, contradicts 125-year-old binding Supreme Court precedent, and runs counter to our nation’s 250-year history of citizenship by birth,” Boardman said in court.
She also pointed out that “no court in the country has ever endorsed the president’s interpretation,” adding, “This court will not be the first.”
The case was brought in Maryland by five pregnant women who feared their babies could be impacted by Trump’s order, along with two immigrant rights groups.
Boardman, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled that a nationwide injunction was necessary to ensure the groups’ members receive “complete relief.”
With two federal judges blocking the executive order, the Trump administration is expected to appeal the rulings. However, legal experts believe the order faces an uphill battle, as Supreme Court precedent has long upheld birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
For now, the nationwide injunction prevents the federal government from enforcing Trump’s order, keeping birthright citizenship intact as the legal battle continues.
