Temporary Nationwide Block Issued Against Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order

In a controversial ruling, Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, temporarily blocked former President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to address the misuse of birthright citizenship—a principle tied to the 14th Amendment.

As reported by The Seattle Times, the executive order would have restricted automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants, a move conservatives argue is long overdue to protect American sovereignty and ensure fairness in the immigration system.

Judge Coughenour, sitting on the federal bench in Seattle, didn’t mince words in his critique of Trump’s action, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.” “I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, and I can’t recall another case where the question presented is as clear as this one,” he said.

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His courtroom comments were peppered with dramatic rhetoric, accusing the administration of overreach.

The temporary restraining order halts the executive order nationwide for at least 14 days as legal challenges play out. Leading the charge is Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, who filed a lawsuit within 24 hours of the order being issued.

Brown, unsurprisingly, labeled Trump’s action as “unconstitutional, un-American, and cruel,” echoing the left’s typical talking points.

Washington’s lawsuit was joined by Oregon, Illinois, and Arizona, while 18 other states rushed to file a similar suit in Massachusetts. Pro-mass immigration groups have also thrown their weight behind the legal opposition, filing lawsuits in New Hampshire and elsewhere.

Clearly, the left is eager to protect a system many Americans believe incentivizes illegal immigration.

Trump’s executive order challenges the longstanding interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all individuals born on U.S. soil. However, the order rightly points out that this provision was never intended to include children of those who enter the country illegally.

The administration argues that such children are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, a key phrase in the amendment.

Attorney General Brown predictably resorted to emotional appeals, comparing Trump’s actions to the Dred Scott decision, a case that was overturned. He also claimed the order would strip citizenship from an estimated 150,000 babies born in the U.S. each year, though such figures are debatable.

Justice Department attorneys fired back, asserting that birth on U.S. soil alone does not automatically entitle an individual to citizenship. They argued that children of illegal immigrants fall under the jurisdiction of their parents’ home countries, not the United States.

Brown dismissed these arguments, clinging to the idea that simply being born in America overrides any other considerations.

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The order also sought to withhold passports and other documents from children of non-citizens and temporary residents, a move intended to discourage abuse of America’s immigration system. Leftist activists, however, have seized on this provision to paint a bleak picture of newborns supposedly left in legal limbo.

For conservatives, this case represents yet another example of activist judges thwarting attempts to restore common sense to immigration policy. The abuse of birthright citizenship has long been a magnet for illegal immigration, with many viewing it as a loophole to secure benefits and permanent residency for entire families.

Trump’s executive order was a bold step toward fixing this broken system, but as usual, the left and their allies in the judiciary are determined to stand in the way.

As the legal battle unfolds, one thing is clear: the fight for America’s sovereignty and the integrity of its immigration laws is far from over.