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A federal judge in Massachusetts has upheld a nationwide injunction issued in February that blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship. The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston, maintains the previous injunction as the only way to fully protect Democratic-led states from potential harm. These states brought the lawsuit against the Trump administration and rejected its argument for a narrower injunction based on a June Supreme Court decision.
In his written ruling, Sorokin stated that the evidence did not support a finding that any narrower option would feasibly and adequately protect the plaintiffs from injuries they are likely to suffer if the unlawful policy in the executive order takes effect during the lawsuit. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded by stating that “courts are misinterpreting the purpose and text” of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Jackson said, “We look forward to being vindicated on appeal.” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, a Democrat, expressed satisfaction with the decision: “American-born babies are American, just as they have been at every other time in our nation’s history. The president cannot change that legal rule with the stroke of a pen.”
The Supreme Court’s June 27 ruling limited judges’ ability to issue so-called “universal” injunctions — where a single district court judge can block nationwide enforcement of federal policies. It directed lower courts that had blocked Trump’s policy nationally to reconsider the scope of their orders.
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However, exceptions in the ruling allow for potential nationwide blocks. A New Hampshire judge has already issued another injunction halting the executive order by blocking its enforcement in a nationwide class action lawsuit involving children who would be denied citizenship under the policy.
A federal appeals court in California recently ruled that Trump’s executive order violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, denying citizenship to many persons born in the United States and blocked its national enforcement.
Trump signed the executive order on January 20, his first day back in office, as part of his immigration crackdown. The order directed federal agencies to refuse recognizing the citizenship of U.S.-born children unless at least one parent is an American citizen or a lawful permanent resident (green card holder).
The states argued that a patchwork approach would complicate administration of federal benefits programs like Medicaid and lead to confusion among immigrant parents, potentially causing a surge in people moving to states where the executive order is on hold. The Justice Department countered by saying the states had failed to address the Supreme Court’s decision.
This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.
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What was the outcome of the lawsuit against President Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, as upheld by a federal judge in Massachusetts?
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